


Hollow Endings

by beetovens5th



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Corruption, Dysfunctional Family, Emotional Manipulation, F/F, Fantasy, Heavy Angst, Magic, Nonbinary Character, Resurrection, Revenge, Self-Sacrifice, Soulmates, Strong Female Characters, Trans Female Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:15:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 15
Words: 25,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24312619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beetovens5th/pseuds/beetovens5th
Summary: 10 years after her mother is killed, Freysa's village is attacked. She decides to go on a journey to confront the man responsible, along with her sister and a new friend. She finds herself barreling headfirst into destiny, fated to make or break the world.
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

One of the worst days of Freysa Dinum's life was a sunny day, with bright skies filled with cotton candy clouds. She had just gotten back home from picking apples with her sister, Prucin, and both were covered with dirt and filled with joy, baskets of apples in their arms. The door was ajar, and a man stood in the frame. The basket of apples fell from Freysa's arms when she noticed the blood on the man's sword, red as the apples tumbling across the ground. 

A chill tip-toed up her spine as the man turned his gaze to hers, his eyes vacant and without color. He moved towards their frozen forms and grabbed Prucin, turning and tossing her into the house. Freysa found herself unable to move and could only watch him do this. No matter how much her mind was yelling for her to move, her body wouldn't listen.

Freysa's gaze still followed him, passing over her bleeding mother. The man started to move into the house, advancing on Prucin. Freysa's protective instincts finally kicked in, seeming to move her limbs before she could even think to. She darted past the man, coming to a stop between her sister and him. She put her hands up in front of her, and stood straight up, stiff and shaking.

"Stop. Leave us alone." Her voice was steady and strong, surprising her.

The man didn't even seem to register her words, all his mindless attention focused on Prucin. Freysa felt a rush of strength, like she was suddenly overflowing with power. With a battle cry escaping her, the bright blue flames of hell shot from her hands and seemed to incinerate the man to his very soul. She was suddenly very tired, and looked to her mother, taking a few steps and collapsing to her knees, her sister following.

She stared at her mother in sheer shock for a few moments, barely registering what the pale clammy skin and blood pooling on the floor and the hole in her mother's gut really meant. She reached for her mother's hand. With the last bit of strength she had, her mother grabbed her daughters' hands and opened her mouth to speak.

"I love you both so much, and I will always be with you." She turned her head to Freysa and continued, "Keep protecting your sister, my sweet firefly."

She suddenly stilled, and then all her muscles relaxed, in death. Freysa could only barely hear her sister's sobs beside her, as she leaned down to put her head on her mother's chest, clinging to her. She desperately listened for a heartbeat, a sign that this wasn't real. That her mother was still alive. But there was only silence.


	2. 1

The quiet and soft tones of the night were interrupted by distant sounds of chaos. I gently spurred Buttercup, my horse, forward, fingers clenching around her reins until the leather bit my skin. I'd been off on a trip to one of the major trading cities, to bring some of our villages' goods to sell and was almost back home when the crashes and shouts reached my ears. I could see the smoke and haze, and as I rode up near the village I knew the whole place was under attack. My best guess was bandits.

I finally came to a stop near enough to feel the heat, but far away enough to be out of sight. I quickly hopped of Buttercup, and after a moment of hesitation tied her reins to a strong branch. Her and the pouch of gold attached to her saddle following me into the fray wouldn't end well. I went into the village, sneaking through wreckage.

All of the sudden I felt supernaturally strong hands grab me and I was tossed a few feet away, haphazardly rolling across the ground. I scrambled back and stood, looking up at my attacker. His eyes were devoid of all color and life. My hand found the dagger strapped to my hip and I readied myself to fight. Before he attacker could reach me a woman rushed from the shadows and stood between us, her eyes just as blank as his.

She spoke in a man's voice, an oddly familiar and dreadful one. "This one is to be spared. Leave." She turned to me, and in her own strained voice said, "Get out of here."

I jogged off, not able to fully comprehend what just happened before I spotted my sister, Prucin, with another attacker approaching. On instinct I summoned a wall of fire in front of her, blocking her attacker. They turned, and started towards me, preparing a swing of the greatsword they were wielding. I didn't have time to think about how screwed I was. I summoned a shield of fire bound to my arm and raised it, muttering a spell word to make it solid. The collision of the blade and my shield knocked me back a good bit and took the air out of my lungs. I used the momentum to clumsily roll away out of their reach.

I steadied myself as they started to advance and quickly set their hands aflame. They reflexively dropped their sword, flapping their hands in the air in an attempt to extinguish them. I rushed towards them, heart pounding as I snaked my hand out and stabbed them in the gut. I hastily moved back as their hands went to their wound and their face paled. They started to stumble away, making an attempt to escape. I let them.

"Oh my gods, are you okay?" Prucin hesitantly walked towards me, glancing over at the retreating enemy.

"I'm fine, are you alright?" I asked, sheathing my dagger. I took a calming breath and refocused my attention on her.

"Yes, but we should get to the main hall, Portra put up a safety spell there." 

With a nod I started moving in the direction of the main hall, with Prucin following. We darted through the doorway before we could be spotted. There were huddles of people all around, covered in dirt and soot. A faint tinge of a metallic scent gave away blood. 

"Prucin, it's good to see you here and safe," Portra, one of the village elders greeted us, "And Freysa, I see you returned from the city." She had a sneer that only I seemed to see as she addressed me.

"Do you have any idea what's happening or who's attacking us?" I asked.

"They're king Zorin's men. I recognized his insignia on their armor." Prucin piped up.

"Why would they be attacking here?" Portra asked, brow furrowing.

"I don't know. But we need to do something." I said.

"There's too many of them, we're outmatched." Portra replied.

With a sigh I looked down, taking a moment to think, "They set the whole damn town on fire. Maybe I can use that against them." 

"Whatever you're planning, how do you think you're going to manage it from here?" Portra asked, one eyebrow raised.

"I just need a vantage point." I glanced around until I spotted the fireplace.

I walked to the fireplace and crawled through, looking up the chimney. I could see just a sliver of the night sky, obscured slightly by smoke. I braced myself against the wall of the chimney and started pushing myself upwards. The rough stone scraped against my arms as I shambled my way up. I finally breached the top and climbed over. Blotches of soot and dust covered me. I crawled to the front of the gable roof, and shifted into a stable sitting position. 

I looked out upon the town, spotting a few dozen soldiers. Most of the town was burning. I took a deep breath and focused on the flames, attuning myself to their energy. With every inhale the flames grew, and with every exhale they flickered down. With a bit of concentration I set them upon the soldiers, immediately causing chaos. They ran about, shouting to retreat to the nearby river. I watched as they all finally left the town's boundary, and sent the remaining flames to surround the town's perimeter, bolstering them with my own summoned blaze. 

I started to feel the strain, a dull pain in my head. Finally the townspeople started cautiously leaving the building. Portra and Prucin walked out, looking up to me. Prucin had a proud smile on her face, meanwhile Portra had a slight glare in her eyes.

"Get somebody to do a spell or something to lock down the fire, I can't hold it for much longer." I said, I could even hear the strain in my voice.

A few skilled mages worked on making the fire permanent. I shimmied down the roof, holding on to the edge and lowering myself as far as I could go, I dropped down. My ankles complained a bit as I stood up, brushing myself off.

"I can't believe you did that all by yourself!" Prucin exclaimed.

"The evil magic certainly helped." Portra muttered under her breath.

"Maybe it's just because I'm the best damn pyromancer in this village!" I snapped, crossing my arms.

"Hey, let's just go get some rest. It's been a long day, and after what you just did you definitely need it." Prucin interrupted, and started gently dragging me by the arm towards our house. 

I dug my heels in so I could say, "Buttercup is still tied up on the edge of the village, I need to get her!"

Prucin sighed. "Go, I'll meet you at the house."

I jogged through town, and strolled through the flame wall on the perimeter of town. The warmth of the flames licked against my skin, leaving it slightly pink but unburnt. I searched around for a minute, until I found buttercup. She let out a soft whine as I went up and untied her. I wrapped my arms around her neck in a hug, and she nuzzled me.

"I'm glad you're okay." I whispered.

She only let out a soft chuff in response.

I lead her back into town, parting the flames. I took the pouch off her saddle, tossed it to Portra, and brought buttercup to the stables. Finally, I started making my way to my house. The house was still standing, a bit charred but the packed clay hadn't burned, same as the other older clay houses. The newer wooden houses had met a worse fate. The old stone community buildings had fared the best. As I finally came upon the doorstep, I noticed a few spatters of blood. A pounding in my chest and a choking feeling had me stumbling through the doorway and through the small kitchen and sitting areas to the bedroom area, seperated by a hide curtain. I found Prucin, sitting on her bed. I flopped into my bed, and turned towards the wall.

Prucin spoke up, "Why do you always antagonize Portra?"

"You should ask her why she always antagonizes me." I grumbled.

"You know she's just old-fashioned."

"You don't even know what she's really like. Now can we just get some sleep? I'm tired as hell."

"Alright.... But you're okay right? Saving the town didn't take too much out of you?"

I felt something hot and wet drip out of my nose, and as I wiped it away I caught a glimpse of blood on my hand. The bright red seemed otherworldly on my slightly too pale skin. 

"I'm fine."


	3. 2

I yawned, stretching out in my bed. My joints cricked and cracked and my muscles ached dully. I winced at the tenderness in my arm, where a large bruise had started to form. The various scrapes certainly didn't help. I sat up, groggily staring at Prucin's empty bed.

"Pru, where are you?" I called out.

"Right here, Fee," she called from the other side of the curtain.

I stood, and moved the curtain aside, peeking through the doorway. Our house was rather small, other than the bedroom there was just one room with just enough room for a few pillows on the floor on one side and a few cupboards on the other. There was only a couple feet between them. I stepped through and leaned on the counter beside Prucin.

"Can you boil the water?" She gestured to our makeshift water filter.

It was really just a pitcher with a hole filled bowl of rocks above it, not really enough to make truly clean water. I focused, heating the water. I furrowed my brows, concentrating harder when it wouldn't get hot enough. Finally it started to bubble. I ignored a wave of dizziness as I grabbed a cup and filled it. The still bubbling water was pleasantly warm on my throat. Prucin filled a cup, and within a few seconds of holding it the bubbling ceased and an ice cube was forming. She set it down after a sip and opened another cupboard, pulling out two hunks of smoked meat. She tossed me one.

I gnawed a chunk off and said, "The whole hot and cold thing is pretty convenient for breakfast."

She nodded, chewing on her own food. We stood and ate in a comfortable silence. Our mornings usually went like this. Quiet, comfortable, and almost somber. The feeling of something missing had never left since our mother had died. 

"We should head out into the village and see how things are." Prucin said, finishing her food.

I nodded, and we both left. The village was just a bit too quiet, usually filled with the bustle of people moving about their day. Whispers took the place of loud chatting and children yelling. There was hardly anyone around, just the occasional loner slinking through, eyes down. I could hear the rush of the nearby river, which I was only ever able to hear in the dead of night. 

Portra seemed to materialize from behind a house, and walked up to us. "Hello, are you two feeling any better?"

"Yes, getting some rest helped," Prucin said.

I simply nodded. "How's everyone else?"

"Honestly, not good... The injured need healing, and we aren't prepared for another attack. The next set of attackers will probably have a way to take down the fire walls..." Portra's brow was furrowed, and I could see the exhaustion resting there.

"I could help with the healing," Prucin offered.

"Your offer is appreciated, but you won't be able to heal everyone on your own, and some injuries are too serious for you," Portra replied.

"There has to be some way to help everyone," Prucin said.

"The spring!" The words tumbled out of my mouth as the idea poked its head into the forefront of my mind. After weird looks from Portra and Prucin, I continued, "The healing spring up in the mountains. Its waters can heal any wound as long as the guardian of the spring deems you worthy."

"That could just be an old legend," Portra said.

"It's on the way to one of the water elemental kingdoms. If the spring doesn't work, we can go there and ask for their help." Prucin spoke up, giving me a small smile.

Portra seemed to contemplate it for a second. "Alright, you can go. I'll help you prepare."

We started preparing, getting waterskins for the spring, some money in case we needed help from the water kingdom, and food for the trip, all packed onto Buttercup's saddle. As Prucin was off grabbing something I leaned on the stable wall. A flinch went through me when Portra grabbed my arm, just a bit too hard. Buttercup chuffed, walking towards us. I held out a hand, petting her nose as a reassurance.

"Keep Prucin safe," Portra murmured, eyes narrowed.

"I will, like always." I didn't bother keeping the bite out of my voice.

"Good." She removed her hand, backing away.

I rolled my eyes, looking to Buttercup. She stared back at me, seeming to share my annoyance. Prucin returned, holding my sheathed sword. She held it out to me and I took it. I took it from it's hilt. It was simply made, a dull, clear gem the only ornamentation. It was broken off only a few inches from the hilt, but I'd found a way to make it useful. With a second of concentration I summoned fire. The gem's enchantment did its work, binding the flame into the missing piece of the sword, and solidifying it. 

I sheathed it and hooked it to my belt. "Let's go."

Prucin nodded, and left to find a horse. She'd never bonded with a horse, but they liked her well enough to let her ride them. I mounted Buttercup, patting her side. She walked forward a bit and Prucin appeared on the back of another horse. We started our journey, leaving town. Buttercup whinnied as we left the town's border.

"I know we just went on a journey, sweet girl. But this is important. I'll go on foot on the way back." I told her, giving her another pat.

We continued, riding to the bottom of the mountain. The trip up to the spring was a only a few hours, and the forests made for a pretty view as we went. We got to a clearing near the spring and dismounted, leading the horses the rest of the way on foot. We came upon the spring. There were two elementals. Their bodies were made of water, solid but not frozen. Their hair was flowing water. One was a man, dressed in clothes befitting a royal.

The other was a girl who looked about my age. Her hair was long, flowing down her back. Her eyes were a blue-green similar to ocean. She wore a simple blue dress, with crystalline gems along the waist. 

The man looked up, and with a wave of his hand water from the spring shot up and hardened into a spear, pointed at us. Fire sparked to life in my hands on instinct. The man's eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched. With another wave of his hand water poured from the spring, flowing around my ankles and freezing into ice. A white hot pain, shot through my system, emanating from where the ice touched.

"What is a pyromancer doing in water territory?" the man growled.

Before I could speak of Prucin had moved to my side and put her hands to the ice. When she moved, all the ice moved with her, and she flung it away. The man's eyes widened only a bit, a hint of surprise entering his face. With the ice gone my legs went aflame to beat the cold, and my arms involuntarily lit up. My heart raced and my vision blurred. I wasn't in my body.

"Dampen your flames or I'll do it for you!" The man shouted.

The girl hopped from her perch on a rock by the water, and said, "Father, stop it! She's obviously hurt and scared. You can't solve everything with violence."

She strode over to me, bringing some water along with her in her hands. She stood in front of me. She took my hands, the water extinguishing the flames gently. it moved up, putting out the rest of the flames. She let go of my hands. Some part of me wanted her to hold on.

"My name is Vica," she said , a small smile lighting up her face.

"I- I'm Freysa." I stuttered a bit, a blush forming on my cheeks. 

"Why are you here?" The man said.

"Our village was attacked. Many of our people need healing. We were hoping this spring's waters could heal them, like legend says." Prucin spoke up.

"Ah, you're from the village of Luton, got attacked by Zorin's men, right?" The man said.

"Yes... Wait, how did you know that?" Prucin said, a bit of suspicion in her voice.

"One of our people saw Zorin's men marching towards your village, and reported to us."

"And you didn't do anything about it? People died! You could've at least warned us!" I started to step forward towards him when Prucin grabbed my arm, holding me back.

"It's not our job to fight outsiders' battles. Now leave." He said.

"They're not leaving without the spring water." Vica turned to him, narrowing her eyes.

"I'm not going to give these outsiders anything." His voice rose slightly.

"No, but I am. You made me the guardian of the spring. It's my choice." Vica's voice was steady and strong as she spoke.

"Fine. I'm not going to stand around and babysit you as you do it." He walked over to the nearby river, creating a boat out of the water and getting in.

Vica turned back to me, and said "I'm sorry about him. He's... Protective."

"It's alright." I replied, with a small smile.

"Thank you. Now let's get you some water. If you open all the waterskins, I can get the water in."

Prucin and I went to our horses, opening up all the waterskins. Vica focused on the water, moving it into the waterskins. Her nose scrunched up as she concentrated, and I couldn't help but notice how cute she looked. As we were closing the waterskins I patted Buttercup, as she scraped the ground with her hoof. She was restless, eager to get home. I was about to lead buttercup down the path when Vica stopped me with a hand on my arm.

"Can I go with you?" She asked, shyly.

"You want to go with us?" I couldn't hide my surprise.

"Yes. I haven't left this spring in months. Maybe I can help or something." 

"Okay. You'll have to walk though, I promised Buttercup she wouldn't have to carry anyone on the way back."

She smiled, a bright smile that made my stomach flip. "Thank you."

"No problem." I looked down, trying to hide the blush on my cheeks.

Prucin mounted her horse, and said. "I'm Prucin." She nodded towards me, "her sister. It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too." Vica replied.

We started the journey back, making light conversation on the way. Butterflies continued to flutter in my stomach. The forest was peaceful as we went, and I felt truly calm for the first time in a few days. The birds sung sweet songs, and the breeze carried the scent of pine. The hours passed quickly and soon we'd arrived home. The sun had started to set, tinting the sky orange and pink.

The flame barrier had been altered, a gap of a few feet had been made in it for entry. I figured some protective spell must've been cast upon it. There weren't any people in sight as we led the horses through town, the air filled with silence. We led the horses to the stables, taking the waterskins off their saddles.

"Who is this?" Portra's voice was sharp.

I flinched and turned to see her, hands on her hips. She was glaring at Vica, as if she were some kind of demon. I stepped forward slightly, finding my place between them.

"The guardian of the spring. If it weren't for her we'd all be screwed, so be polite for once in your life, Portra."

"Don't talk to me like that," her eyes darkened and I felt a chill go down my spine, "guardian or not, I don't want an elemental in my village."

I rolled my eyes and turned to Vica, "Come on. Let's get out of here for now."

She nodded, a small smile appearing on her face.

I led her out of town, and to the nearby river. She ran ahead, jumping in, giggling. I couldn't help but smile a bit. I rolled up my pant legs, pulled off my boots, and sat on the riverbank, dunking my legs in the water. It was soft and cool and calming and my muscles had just started to relax. Only now could I feel the knots and tense spots. A slight pain started to pound in my head, as if it had been held back by a dam that had crumbled.

"Come on, hop in with me!" Vica lightly tugged on my hand.

"But I'll get my clothes wet." 

"I can get the water out of them easily." 

I chuckled, and hopped off the edge into the water. It shocked my skin a bit, being submerged up to my chest. My feet firmly planted on the river floor, the silt scraping by my skin. Vica smiled, and reached a hand out to my arm, hovering above the bruise there. 

"What's that from?" She asked, voice soft and almost far away.

"From a fight when my village was attacked."

"How'd you all get the king's men to go away?" 

"I uh... Set them all on fire." I blushed a bit.

She laughed, clear and bubbly like a babbling brook. "That must've taken a lot out of you... I can heal you, y'know. I'm not as powerful as the spring but I can do it." Her face was warm and open, and she looked me right in the eye as she spoke.

My stomach flip flopped in my gut. "I guess the bruise is a bit annoying."

She placed her hand on the bruise, ever so gently, and water started to swirl around her hand and my arm. The water emitted a soft glow, and chills ran down my spine. It felt warm, like the feel of a mug of hot tea cooling in your hands. Something comforting. When she removed her hand, the bruise is gone.

"I can feel the toll saving your village took on you. If you keep going like this you could get hurt. You need a break."

"I can't take a break. Not while Zorin's men are out there and could be coming after my home."

"Then let me take away some of the strain." 

She raised her hands, resting her fingers against my temples. Beads of waters followed and thrummed around, their glow taking up my peripheral vision. My eyelids fluttered closed as a calm washed over me. The aches and pains of the former night started to fade, replaced by some fuzzy feeling. I felt more awake than I had in days. 

She took her hands away, and I opened my eyes. "Um... Thanks." I mumbled.

"No problem." She replied. She looked down, and after some hesitation said, "I know it isn't my place to ask, but what's with you and Portra? There seems to be some history there."

"We just don't get along. She hates me because I can conjure fire and she thinks that's demonic, and I hate her because she's a miserable bitch."

She let out a slight snort, covering her mouth with her hand, her eyes sparkling. "That's one way to describe her. Why do you even put up with her?"

"She sorta runs the town. And Prucin likes her somehow. They're close. She sorta took care of us after... After our mom died." 

"I'm so sorry, that must've been horrible." Her hand covered mine.

"It was... It's bearable now at least."

"I can't imagine going through that and then being raised by someone like Portra..."

"It was... Rough. She's a cryomancer, like Prucin... But she was willing to use it against me. Hell, she's willing to let me die. It's like I'm not even a person to her." My free hand went to my neck, rubbing at the itch of an old wound.

She squeezed my hand. "You could just leave, y'know. Take Prucin and find some other place to live. What's holding you back?"

I blinked. "This is my home. I can't just leave." 

"And you've never felt like just running away forever?" 

"No, not forever."

"I've always felt like that about my kingdom... It's never been my home I guess."

We were interrupted by the sound of something approaching in the water, and turned towards it. There was a water elemental, moving through the water almost ethereally at high speed. They stopped a few feet away.

"You need to come back, Princess Vica. Our scouts have spotted a fire elemental army marching towards the kingdom, you're not safe here."

"Have any of Zorin's troops been spotted coming here?" She asked.

"No." The elemental squinted, then started to turn. "Make your way back to the kingdom at once." They left.

Before I could say a word, Vica took my hands in hers and looked at me, eyes pleading. "I need your help, to save my kingdom."

My heart skipped a beat. How could I say no?


	4. 3

"I've been doing some research with my grandmother, and I've been looking into a spell that can turn an element into a magical barrier. There's enough water to do it around my kingdom. The only problem is the caster can't be attuned to the element, or the spell will fail." Vica's words were rushed as we hurried back into the village.

With a flick of her wrist the water rushed from our clothes as we crossed back into the village. I already had someone in mind. Magic wasn't my thing, but I knew a witch. An old wise woman in the village who'd long gone blind from age. She seemed to always know where she was and something unnatural kept her alive. 

"I'm not really much of a mage, but I know someone who can help. She's probably in the main hall like everyone else." 

Soon our steps took us into the main hall. I glanced around but the wise woman wasn't in sight. Most of the village people were in, huddled together, whispering. A few glanced up, showing different expressions when they spotted Vica. 

"What did I tell you?! I don't want an elemental in my village. Get her out." Portra walked up, standing a bit too close to me.

"Shut up. You don't get to kick people out just because you're a judgemental little shrew-"

There was a blur of motion and a crack. A cold sting burned into the side of my face as my hand went to clutch it. My vision started to blur red. I felt the heat of flames surround me. I took a step toward Portra, and she took a step back. A wall of flames erupted behind her and she stumbled forward. I grabbed the collar of her shirt and pulled her in close. For once the fear was in her eyes.

"Don't you dare lay a hand on me again, you pathetic, cruel, old woman." Flames crackled against my arm, licking close to her. I let go.

She backed up, almost scrambling. "I'll be going." 

I took a deep breath, and the flames died down. The people around me looked at me with a mix of shock and fear. I ran a hand through my hair, shaking my head slightly and staring at the ground.

"Are you okay?" Vica's voice was gentle, almost as gentle as her hand on my shoulder. 

"I think I am. We should go look for Impfay, the old witch I know. She might know about your spell." We started to leave the hall, running into Prucin.

"Portra was fuming, what happened?"

"I finally stood up to her. But that doesn't matter, we need to talk to Impfay."

I filled her in as we walked briskly to Impfay's house. It was cluttered, filled with herbs and books and strange items that I'd never seen before. Every surface was covered. The air seemed to crackle with an energy that forced the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end. There seemed to be something whispering, calling out.

"I knew I'd be seeing you today, what can I do for you, dearie?" I jumped slightly at the sound of Impfay's voice behind me.

She smiled pleasantly when I turned towards her. Her hair was shaved, and intricate swirling tattoos covered her head. Her eyes were completely white, and wrinkles filled her face. She looked me directly in the eyes. Something about her was off, but I didn't feel any unease at her presence.

"We need help with a spell. It's supposed to turn an element into a magical barrier." I replied. 

"Ah, it's a powerful spell, that one. Power may run through you, but not of the arcane. You couldn't cast it." She turned to Prucin, "But you, dearie, you might be able to manage it."

"Well how does it work?" Vica spoke up, eager.

"You simply surround whatever you're trying to protect with an element, and you put your hands upon the barrier and cast the spell. I can write down the words." Impfay replied.

We nodded, and Impfay walked into her house, grabbing a slip of paper and a cylindrical chunk of charcoal. She wrote some words in an ancient language, and then handed it to Prucin.

"Now, is that it?" She asked.

"Yes." Vica said.

"We should go somewhere, make a real plan." I said.

"We can go to our house, and get some food." 

We went to our house, and I rummaged through a cupboard. There was still a good amount of food, and hunger had started to gnaw at me.

"Uh, Vica, do you eat?" I asked, not looking away from the cupboard.

"No." She replied.

I grabbed a hunk of bread and two pieces of smoked meat, and we all sat on the floor by the pillows. I split the bread in half and handed one half and a piece of meat to Prucin. We ate in a comfortable silence for a minute.

"Alright, we need to come up with a plan or something." I said, after my last bite of food.

"If we get to the front of the kingdom, we can get some of my people to create a barrier around it using water from the ocean and the nearby rivers. Then we can have Prucin do the spell... Maybe my grandmother can help somehow. She's good with arcane magic." Vica said, eyes narrowed in concentration.

"I can go fight on the front lines. I've got a unique advantage, their fire won't hurt me. If Prucin puts some frost in my blade I can slice them down easy." I said.

"But they'll probably have regular weapons too, and there's too many of them." Vica said.

"Can your grandmother manage an invisibility spell?" I asked.

"Sure, why?" Vica replied.

"If I can sneak through I could take out the generals and any other leaders. Cut off the head of the snake and the body will flounder." I said.

"Good. So have we got our plan?" Prucin asked.

Vica and I nodded. "I'll get a boat prepared. Prucin, you tell the others where we're going." I replied.

She nodded and left, and I left for the boathouse, with Vica following. It was a small building with only a few simple rowboats leaning against the walls. I grabbed one, hauling it out to the river. I tied it to the small pier, and waited for Prucin to return.

"Thank you for doing all this. You didn't have to." Vica said, softly, smiling.

"It's fine, really." I replied.

"Sorry if this is a weird question, but why are you doing it? Especially right after your village was attacked. You're doing so much." 

"Um..." I blushed a bit, staring at the ground. "I guess it's just the right thing to do."

"Oh."

Prucin walked up. "Are we ready?" 

We nodded. Prucin and I got into the boat after untying it, and Vica stepped into the water, and pushed it as she went, moving through the water quickly. It was faster than if we'd been rowing it. I stated at the treeline as we went. The air was filled with an almost tense silence. I was starting to realize what I was getting into.

After about an hour we were coming upon the kingdom. It was all crystalline blues and greens and clear glasslike structures, most jutting out of the ocean. The sun sparkled against it, almost as if it were all made from precious gems. In the center was a castle, and canals ran all through the outer kingdom. I heard Prucin gasp from beside me.

"It's beautiful." She said, voice lowered in awe.

"It really is, I suppose." Vica replied.

A large army of water elementals gathered in front of the gates of the city, clad in armor and armed with weapons. I could see the king talking with a small, older elemental woman. We finally stopped in front of them all, and got out of the boat. 

"How could you bring outsiders here at this time, daughter?" The king asked, glaring at me and Prucin.

The older elemental woman hushed him, placing a hand on his arm. "Hush, my son, don't be rude. I do believe they're here to help."

I blinked. "Um, yes. How did you know?"

"I figured I'd be helping with the barrier spell today. And I figured I'd be meeting you. I'm surprised you're a pyromancer, though." She replied, giving me a pleasant smile.

"I'm not the one doing the spell, my sister is."

"That's not what I meant. But anyway, we really should prepare." She turned to the king, "Alright dear boy, bring some people to create the water barrier. We've got work to do."

He sighed. "Yes, mother."


	5. 4

The sky was turning a soft pink when the first flickers of red and orange were spotted. The fire elementals had started marching down the large hill, and were just a couple hundred feet away. There were more of them than there were of us. And they had a dragon. Their king rode on the back of the behemoth of a creature, behind his army, as if waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

The water king ordered his soldiers to stand ready to charge, and a few elementals had started the laborious task of creating a barrier of water around the kingdom. Prucin and the king's mother were going over the spell, and the king and Vica stood arguing.

"You will go to the castle and hide, you'll be safe there." The king said, pointing towards the kingdom.

"No. I'm staying here." Vica said, crossing her arms. 

"It's too dangerous out here." The king replied.

"Well I can't just run away from this! I have to do something!" 

The king's expression softened slightly, and he placed a hand on her shoulder. "I understand that you want to help. But you're not a fighter."

"I can heal. Just let me stay back here, and I'll heal any soldiers that need it and come here. Please, just let me do this one thing."

"Fine. But if they get too close, you run for the castle."

She blinked, as if surprised he'd agree. "Okay.'

I watched as the last bit of water surrounded the kingdom, slowly forming a wall just in front of us. The fire elementals were getting closer. The battle would come soon. I turned to the king's mother and Prucin, walking closer to them.

I took out my sword, and said to Prucin, "Put some ice in there." 

"Alright," she replied

With a bit of concentration on her part, and some water from a flask the king's mother had, Prucin formed ice and melded it to the sword. It's enchantment activated, creating a blade out of the ice. I turned my attention to the king's mother.

"I need to be invisible. Can you make that happen?" I said.

"Sure. Just close your eyes for a moment." She said, a smile on her face.

I closed my eyes. I heard her whisper a few words in a language I didn't recognize. I opened my eyes and looked down. There was nothing there.

"Thanks. I'm going after that king." I said.

"Wait, you can't seriously be going after him! He has a dragon. Even you aren't immune to that much fire." Prucin said.

"I can handle it." I replied.

I ducked through the last gap in the water barrier and it closed behind me. I turned to see Prucin looking in my direction, worry overtaking her expression.

"I'm sure she'll be fine dear. Just focus on the spell." The king's mother said, placing her hand on her shoulder.

I sighed, ignoring my instincts to stay with her. I raced through the army of fire elementals, dodging left and right to avoid them. They were to focused on the blood to be spilled to notice me. I eventually came through the sea of fire, nearing the king on his dragon. I walked softly, approaching, only for the dragon to look directly at me.

"Your ingenuity is impressive, little human. But it will take more than a simple invisibility spell to fool me." I heard the words, a gravelly deep voice of something old speaking in my head.

The dragon's tail whipped towards me, knocking me off my feet. With a glance down, I realized I was visible again. I looked back up, to be met with the gaze of the fire king. I scrambled back up, standing.

"Roast her." He ordered.

The dragon took in a breath. And with his exhale came a torrent of flame. I held my arms in front of my face only to be thrown back by the force of it, tumbling a few feet. The fire seared my skin with a pain I'd never felt before. The smell of burnt flesh filled my nose. My skin was red all over, blistered and burnt in places. The air had been knocked out of me, and my body was bruised all over from the impact. I took in labored breaths, trying to get control over my body. My fingers curled into the dirt, finding purchase. 

"What?! that should've turned her to ash!" The fire king yelled. His voice seemed muffled now.

"I must honor your strength, little human. Not many have survived the wrath of my flames." I heard the dragon's voice in my head again, now with a note of respect.

I pushed against the earth, heaving myself upward onto my hands and knees. My body shook. I found myself in a sitting position, looking towards the dragon. He made no move towards me, his head dipped slightly as if in a bow. 

The fire king slid down from the dragon's back, striding towards me. "I'll have to handle this myself, then. You're going to regret ever crossing me, little girl."

He strode up, holding his hands out into the air. A battleaxe formed of fire came into existence, falling into his grasp. He held it aloft as he neared me, ready to bring it down onto my head. I found my strength at the last second, rolling out of the way as it whistled through the air. 

I pulled my sword from it's sheath, snaking my arm out and swinging the blade through his legs. He fell to the ground, and I stabbed the sword into his gut, scrambling up onto him. I pulled the sword back and brought the edge down to his neck, pushing with both hands. The ice of the blade shocked my left hand but I ignored it, pushing with all my might. It cut through his neck, and as his head came off he faded away into nothing. The blade had melted. My hands shook as I sheathed the sword and pushed myself up onto my feet. 

"You've earned my respect, little human. I will call back the king's troops. Climb up, and I'll return you to your allies." The dragon moved towards me, surprisingly light on its feet. 

It leaned down, allowing me to haphazardly climb onto its back. It's scales were rough, scraping against my skin. I settled on it's back as it raised its head into the sky and let out a roar.

"Retreat, your king is dead!" I heard through the roar. 

The waves of flame elementals turning to run told me they could hear it too. The dragon's wings started to beat against the air, and it took off from the ground, rising into the sky. I leaned down, holding on tightly, trying not to look at the earth below.

"You don't seem to care much about the fire king's death. Why were you helping him?" I asked, voice shaky and weak.

"Because I owed a human king, Zorin, a debt. He told me that if I helped the fire king take this kingdom it'd be repaid." The dragon replied. It soared through the sky, nearing the water kingdom.

My brows furrowed. "He just had my village attacked. Why is he doing all this?"

"He didn't tell me. But he seems to have some plan. Take care, little human." The dragon landed, and the earth shook. 

Everyone looked up with mixed expressions of shock and fear as I slid down off its back. It turned and flew into the air once again, leaving. Prucin ran up to me, pulling me into a hug.

"Are you alright?" She asked.

Yes, I'm fine." My knees buckled and everything went black.

\---

The air whipped past me as I ran, taking in shuddered breaths. The trees surrounding me seemed to close in, threatening to trap me. The only light guiding me was the moonlight filtering through the branches. My breath left me when my foot caught in a root, and I tumbled to the ground. Turning I saw him approaching. I tried to summon fire with everything I had but it didn't work.

He stepped in the moonlight and I knew it was him. The man who killed my mother. But there was something different about him, something more human. An awareness in his eyes that hadn't been there that day.

"It wasn't me. It was him. It was always him." He desperately rambled.

I finally looked at the insignia on his armor. It was king Zorin's.


	6. 5

Cool water surrounded me, up to the outer corners of my eyes. I could feel it softly wave back and forth. The pain in my body was gone. I opened my eyes and sat up, looking down. I was in a shallow pool set into a platform. The water glowed slightly. There were burn scars along my arms and some on my torso and legs. In the reflection of the water I could see a scar along the left side of my face. The room was empty. I slipped out of the pool, leaning against it as my legs shook slightly. Vica walked in. Her face brightened when she saw me, and she ran towards me and pulled me into a hug.   
"Thank you." She whispered.  
"Uh, it's fine. You don't have to thank me." I mumbled.  
She pulled back enough to look me in the eyes, and rose one hand to gently trail her fingers down the scar on my cheek. "You risked your life to save my kingdom. I'll never forget that."   
I blushed, looking away. She stepped back. I heard the door open as Prucin and the king's mother walked in. Prucin gasped when she saw me and almost tackled me, arms tightening around me almost enough to hurt.  
"I'm so glad you're okay! You scared me so much when you passed out!" She rambled.  
"What happened while I was passed out?" I asked.  
"All the fire elementals left, and the king had one of his soldiers take you here. The waters in that pool are healing, like the spring. You were passed out through the night." She replied, letting go of me but staying close.  
"Oh." I stared at the ground, the night's dream still tugging on the edge of my conscience. "I had a weird dream... And it helped me figure something out."   
"What?"  
"King Zorin had our mom killed. The man who did it wore his insignia and there was something... Off about him like he was being controlled. Some of the soldiers who attacked the town were like that too."   
"Why would he do all that?" She asked, brows furrowed.  
"I don't know. But he got the dragon to help the fire elementals too. He's planning something, and I have to stop him. I have to go confront him."   
"That's too dangerous!"  
"I'm not asking permission."

"Well then I'm going too." She crossed her arms.

"I'll go with you too. It's the least I can do after what you did for my kingdom." Vica spoke up, a small smile on her face. 

I could tell by the looks in their eyes that there was no changing their minds. I sighed. "Fine."

I heard the door open and saw the king's mother. "Well what are you three plotting?" 

"Nothing, grandma Korsa." Vica replied.

"Your father may fall for your lies but I won't." Korsa replied with a smile.

"Fine... We're... Going to king Zorin. He had a hand in the fire kingdom attacking us." Vica said, glancing at the floor.

"Well that seems very risky. Come with me and I'll get you some supplies." Korsa turned for the door.

I raised an eyebrow and started to follow her along with Prucin and Vica. We went down a few hallways to enter a small room. It was filled with things, but neat. Books were packed onto shelves and trinkets and herbs were tucked into cabinets. Korsa opened a drawer and pulled out a piece of paper. Closer inspection revealed it was a map. 

"What's that for?" I asked.

"It shows where Zorin's castle is." She grabbed a quill from a tiny pot of ink and circled three spots. She pointed at one. "This is where we are." She pointed at the closest one to the first. "This is a village of witches. If you go here they'll help you in your quest." She pointed at the final one. "This is Zorin's castle. It's surrounded on all sides by water." She handed me the map, and a pack made of leather.

She rummaged through the drawer again, procuring a compass, and grabbed a blanket from a cupboard and a pouch of coins. She handed them to me and I put them in the pack along with the map. She walked over to an armoire, opening it. It was filled with weapons.

"What weapons are you comfortable with using?" She asked.

"I'm alright with a bow." Prucin said, tentatively.

"I've got my sword." I said.

"You know I'm best with a staff." Vica said.

Korsa pulled a bow, a quiver full of arrows, and a staff out of the armoire. She handed the bow and arrows to Prucin, and the staff to Vica. I slung the pack onto my back. 

"If you go in the direction of his castle you'll get to a small town right before the forest of eternal winter. You'll want to get more supplies and some warm clothing there to prepare. It's a half day journey." Korsa said.

I nodded. "So, are you ready?" I asked, I turned to Prucin and Vica.

They both nodded.

We set out, Vica leading us through the castle. The twists and turns of the crystalline blue walls seemed to melt together in my mind. We finally got to the front doors, leaving and weaving our way through the outer kingdom to the gate. A soldier stopped in front of us.

"King Norvin has ordered that you stay in the palace, princess." He said to Vica.

"If my father wants me to stay here he can stop me himself." She pushed passed the soldier.

We followed, finding a path through the forest soon. With a quick check of the map and compass I knew we were going in the direction of the small town, our first stop. The smell of pine filled my nose, and the sounds of birds chirping and the wind moving through the branches calmed me. We came across a river with a wood bridge, shaky and held up by slightly rotted ropes. It wouldn't be able to hold all of us.

"I'll go first. I won't drown if it breaks." Vica said.

She cautiously walked across, and though it creaked and wobbled it didn't break. Prucin was next, and she made it across safe and sound as well. I'd lifted my foot up when I heard a twig snap behind me and turned. There was nothing there. When I turned back to the bridge Vica and Prucin were gone.

"Hey, where'd you go?" I called out.

My eyes caught movement as somebody stepped out from behind a tree. It was the man who'd killed my mother, with the same empty eyes. I stepped back, hands shaking. I pulled out my sword, trying to summon fire. Nothing. I tried to put fire between us. Nothing. He started to advance, drawing a knife. 

I turned to run the other way, only to see a few more empty eyed soldiers. My legs moved into action and I ran along the river's edge, away from them. The fast snapping of twigs and beat of feet against the ground behind me matched the beat of my heart.

The river fed into a lake, and I turned to run along the edge only to run into more soldiers. I hesitated for a few seconds and jumped into the lake. I felt a brush against my leg and then something pulling me down. I struggled, and looked to see Prucin. She held onto me with a video grip, sinking us. I swam with all my strength to the surface, legs kicking to be met with an ice sheet. I looked around, all there was was ice. My heart pounded and my lungs burned and my head felt like it was about to explode as I kicked and beat against the ice with my fists.

My vision started to go dark when I felt something grab my hand and pull me up. I ended up on my hands and knees on the river bank, heaving in breaths. I looked around desperately, Prucin was nowhere to be seen, but Vica was beside me, her hand on my back.

"There were soldiers and ice and Prucin... Oh gods where did she go?" I rambled.

"None of it was real. You were under the influence of a fear demon. Everything's going to be okay.' she rubbed soft circles into my back.

"Where'd she go?" 

I heard a scream from up the river, bolted to my feet, and ran for it. I stopped in my tracks when I found Prucin across the river, on the ground. In the river was a mountain lion with a shard of ice running through it. It's form seemed to shift as if a moving shadow were on it. She continued to scream, as the ice grew further. My little sister's face, which usually held serenity was filled with fear and something bitter and raw. The mountain lion's body seemed to ripple, and formed into Portra, impaled by the ice but smiling wickedly. With a flick of her hand some of the ice moved towards me, trapping me against a tree. I struggled against it but it wouldn't budge. 

Prucin's gaze locked on mine, both looking at me and through me. "Please help me please! I can't stop him! She cried.

I fought desperately against the ice. "I can't move! I'm sorry!"

She didn't seem to register what I was saying. "I know I'm weak and you're always having to save me, you don't have to tell me that! But please, I'm scared!" She spoke as if responding to words I hadn't said.

I stopped struggling against the ice. "Whatever you're seeing or hearing isn't real! You have to snap out of it! I'm here for you!" I cried.

She blinked, the haze lifting from her eyes as she looked around. "There was... The man who killed our mom... And even though I put ice through him he kept going,, and then you were here and you..." She trailed off, putting her head in her hands. 

The ice around me melted and the mountain lion regained it's original form. I trudged through the water, Vica following me. I sat down on the forest floor by Prucin and wrapped an arm around her as she leaned on me.

"It's okay. None of it was real. We were under the influence of a demon. You're safe." I whispered.

She shook against me, taking in deep breaths to calm herself. "It was so scary... I thought I was going to die." She mumbled.

"I've heard stories of demons in these woods but I've always thought they were just that, stories. Maybe I should've warned you." Vica said, staring at the ground.

"It's okay. You couldn't have known it was real." I replied. 

"Can we just get to the town. I'll feel safer there." Prucin said, voice a bit steadier.

I stood up. "If we go up the river we should get back to the bridge, and we can go on from there." 

She nodded and stood up, a bit wobbly on her feet. We made our way back to the bridge and followed the path to the town. A check of the bag revealed that the map had gotten a bit wet but was still readable. The forest seemed darker and silent now.

We finally walked into the town. The buildings were made of wood, and the few houses surrounded a small plaza with shops, some stalls, a church, and a town hall. It felt similar to our home. I stopped at a stand, buying food for me and Prucin. We ate as we walked around the town, checking things out. The sun was starting to travel down the horizon, and the sky was a brilliant orange.


	7. 6

As the sun set we headed into an inn, cozy and warm. I paid for a room, realizing most of our money was gone. It had a single and double bed, and we quickly collapsed, me and Prucin in the double. Sleep overtook me.

I was on an island surrounded by an iced over river. I knew I needed to move, something was coming. I didn't know how, but I could sense it. I cautiously stepped onto the ice, putting one foot in front of the other. I was starting to relax when a snap sounded through the air, and the ice fell from beneath me. I was submerged, being taken by the river current. The freezing cold water chilled me to the bones, dizzying my mind. 

I took my sword from it's sheath and stuck it into the ice, keeping me in one spot. I felt the ice for a weak spot, fighting to stay conscious. The darkness was closing in. I couldn't hold on much longer. I was going to die.

I jolted up, tumbling out of my bed. I glanced around wildly, taking in shuddering breaths. I was in the inn, safe and sound. Moonlight flowed through the window, dimly lighting the room. I heard a shuffle as Prucin turned to look at me, groggily. 

"You okay?" She mumbled.

"Yeah. Just a weird dream." I replied.

I crawled back into bed, curling up. I tried to get the dream out of my head.

\---

I woke up a lot smoother than in the night, the sun pouring into my eyes. I rubbed my face and got up, stretching. Vica was awake, leaning against the headboard of her bed. She smiled at me.

"Good morning." Her voice was soft and a bit rough.

"G' morning," I mumbled, walking over to Prucin's side of the bed. I leaned down and gently shook her shoulders, dodging the foot that whipped out at me. 

"No morning." Her groggy grumble was muffled by her pillow.

"Why are you such a pain to wake up?"

"Silence." She rolled away from me.

"Gods damn it."

I sighed, realizing I'd have to use my last resort. I grabbed her arm, and licked her hand, she immediately whipped up, falling out of bed.

"Ew, what the hell! You're so gross!" She yelled, eyes glaring daggers at me. As she rubbed her hand against her shirt, I heard Vica snicker from behind me.

"And you're an ass in the morning. Now let's go get breakfast.

Prucin begrudgingly got up, elbowing me slightly. Vica stood up as I opened the door, and we were off. We stopped by a food stand, and I payed the rest of our money on some bread and fruit. We sat and ate.

"Will the fear demon be in the woods where we're going?" I heard Prucin murmur.

"I don't think so. But we're prepared now. It's not that powerful if you can get past its illusions." Vica said.

"You seem to know a lot about them." I said.

"My grandma lets me read all her books and tells me about demons and magic. I never thought I'd actually encounter one though." Vica replied.

"All I ever heard about demons was how evil they are." I said.

"They're not actually all evil. Most tend to be fairly neutral, or do evil things to survive. For example, fear demons have to feed on fear, because without it they wither away. Most don't do it for the sake of causing harm." Vica rambled a bit, eyes lighting up a bit as she spoke.

"Huh. Interesting." I said.

"I don't get to talk about the things I've learned a lot, sorry if I ramble." She glanced at the ground.

"It's okay, I like hearing you talk." I blushed when I realized what I said. A smile lit up Vica's face for a second. Prucin glanced at me, an eyebrow raised. She was about to say something when I interrupted her. "We should get some supplies for the road. We'll need warmer clothes for the forest of eternal winter."

"Alright, let's check out that shop." Prucin said, pointing to a shop with fur coats in the window.

We walked in, and the shopkeeper gave us a wave. There were various clothes, a good bit of them made for colder weather. They would work perfectly. The only problem was our lack of money. I walked up to the shopkeeper's desk.

"We're out of money but we really need some supplies for a trip through the forest of eternal winter. Is there anything we can do to earn some money around here?" I asked.

"Some priests are trying to take care of a fear demon that's been harassing travelers in the woods. Damned thing has been impacting my business. If you help them I'll give you what you need." She replied.

I nodded and walked over to Prucin and Vica. "You hear that?" I asked.

They both nodded, and Prucin glanced at the ground, shifting her feet. "Do we really have to deal with the fear demon again?" She asked.

"You can stay here if you want." I replied.

She shook her head. We left the shop and headed to the small church, running into four priests. They looked at us with slight suspicion.

"Why are you here?" One of them, asked. He was older, with gray hair and a beard.

"We're here to help you take care of a fear demon." I replied.

"Ah, well good then. Come in, we'll get you some holy weapons." He said.

We walked in, and he opened a display case with a few knives inside. They were carved out of white marble, and glowed slightly. We each took one, and the old priest, obviously the leader, started to lead us into the forest. 

"Some travelers just came through. They said they'd been attacked by the demon. Odds are the thing is resting after a good meal, and we've tracked down it's cave. As long as we don't wake the thing up we should be fine." The old priest said.

I nodded. We ventured further into the forests, taking a winding path. We eventually came across a cave. Walking in, I saw the demon. A large beast, covered in shadows and quills. We snuck up and all brought the knives into the demon. It screamed and thrashed about before finally stilling. 

"Good work." One of the younger priests said.

"You did good for your first real mission, Thomas." The old priest said to him.

Thomas smiled and nodded. I looked back at the demon. It seemed to shiver and flicker. I looked back at Thomas, eyes drawn to his shadow. It flickered the same way. I looked him in the eye, and he grinned.

"I figured you'd be the one to catch me, girlie." He chuckled.

His eyes turned to a mix of purple and red and quills grew down his back. With a wave of his arms globs of black goo launched at us all, sticking us to the cave walls. I struggled as the goo started to spread across me. 

"You gave it a good try, but you won't be leaving this cave." He said.

The other priests turned pale, eyes glazing over. Prucin had her eyes closed, whimpering. Vica pushed against the goo, but in vain. Heat and power started to build in me, becoming to big to contain. An explosion of fire blasted the goo off of me and I collapsed, fire covering me.

The demon growled, and flung more black goo at me. I rolled out of the way and grabbed a fallen knife. I stood up and he flung another shot of goo, hitting my left side. I cut it with the blade and it shriveled away. I lunged at the demon, bringing the knife down towards his chest. He grabbed hold of my wrists, pushing me back. I kicked his knee, sending him down and I pushed with all my might. The knife entered his heart, and glowed brilliantly as it seemed to burn him from the inside out. He turned to dust scattered on the cave floor. The goo holding the others faded away.

"How... What..." The old priest's voice shook as he spoke. 

"Thomas was an imposter!" One of the other priests yelled.

The old priest turned to me. "We wouldn't have figured it out or been able to defeat him if it weren't for you. We'll give you some coin when we get back to the forest."

"Thank you." I turned to Vica and Prucin. "Are you two okay?"

"I'm just glad it's over." Prucin said.

"Me too. How did you even figure out he was the demon?" Vica asked.

"Something was just off about him and the fake demon. And it just felt way too easy." I replied.

"Ah." Vica said.

The priests led us from the woods back to the town, and after getting some coin and supplies we returned to the clothing store. We all got warm coats, and started on our way out of town for the forest of eternal winter.


	8. 7

I shivered, curling my arms tighter around me. We'd been trekking through the forest of eternal winter for a few hours now in a comfortable silence. The cold had started to go to my bones.

"I need a distraction, let's talk about something." I muttered.

"Um... How are you after what happened with the fear demon?" Vica asked.

"Uh, 'm fine." I replied. "How did you figure out it was a fear demon when we were attacked on the way to the town?"

"Well... It manifested as my parents dragging me back to my kingdom, saying that my grandma had told them where we were going. And I guess I just realized that she wouldn't do that, and then I remembered the stories about the demon." 

"I don't know how I didn't realize it wasn't real. It manifested as a dead man." I said.

"If they have enough of a hold on someone's mind they can take away the ability to rationalize things. It must've been more focused on you and gotten a hold." 

"Maybe." 

A twig snapped. I froze, looking around. Snow started to fall heavier, flurrying around. A huge wolf and humanoid ice creatures seemed to materialize in front of us from the snow. The wolf growled, and with a bark the ice elementals went on the attack. One headed towards me. I tried to summon fire, in vain. 

With a wave of the ice creature's arm ice surrounded me on all sides, trapping me. I struggled, trying to use fire against it. With an exhale I felt the heat in my breath, instinctively focusing on it. With every exhale the heat grew. A small puff of fire came out, and then I turned my attention to the ice creature. With my next exhale I breathed out a torrent of fire, melting a hole through it. It collapsed, and the ice around me fell. I stood up, fists aflame. 

I ran towards the other ice creature, dodging as it struck me and punching through its center. It collapsed, and I turned towards the growling wolf behind me. I found myself staring into its eyes, and seeing more intelligence than any normal wolf had.

"You're not just a wolf, are you?" I asked.

The wolf stopped its growling. "No, I'm the keeper of this forest. Now tell me, why have you come here." I heard a deep, smooth voice in my head.

"We're just trying to get through it." I replied.

The wolf seemed to contemplate for a second. "Follow me. And don't try to run, nobody gets through my forest if I don't want them to.

I nodded. The wolf turned, walking away. The snow lightened, and the sun started to shine weakly between the clouds. We followed, trudging through the snow behind it. After a few minutes of walking we came across a large tree with a door carved out. Stairs led down into the dark. The wolf went down the stairs, and we cautiously followed it. It led us down into an underground room, lit by a few torches. The wolf nodded towards the fireplace.

"You may light a fire." It said.

I lit the fireplace with a wave of my hand. "Why did you bring us here?"

"To ask you what you're planning on doing on the other side of my forest." The wolf sat, facing us.

I hesitantly sat, and Prucin and Vica followed suit. "We're going to king Zorin's castle." I replied.

"And why are you doing that?" The wolf asked.

"To confront him."

"So you're going to kill him?" 

"If it comes to that." I narrowed my eyes.

The wolf held my gaze, staring intently. "Are you sure you want to kill the king? There may be consequences." 

"I'm ready to face them."

Prucin spoke up, "Maybe we should go back."

"No. I can't stop now. If you want to go back home, you can." My fists clenched.

Prucin sighed. "You know I can't do that."

"You may go. Be cautious, the road you're travelling may get bumpy." The wolf turned, trotting into another room.

I stood up along with Prucin and Vica and we walked up the stairs, back out into the snow. A path dug itself out, and we followed it. The snow still fell lightly, swirling around.

"What do you think the wolf meant?" Vica asked out of the blue.

"I don't know. There's probably another monster or something on the way. We can handle it." I replied.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Vica said.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you." I said.

Vica smiled lightly at me. "I'll try to protect you too."

By now we'd left the snowy and ice, now walking along a chilly forest path. I felt something off too. I looked around, but nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary among the trees. I looked down at the ground. The dirt was dark and loose, as if it'd been moved recently. I stopped, feeling a rumble. The dirt rose up from the ground, encasing me in a hardened shell. Vica and Prucin were trapped to. Something rose from the earth in front of us. It was a pole, made of clay and dirt with different faces molded into it. 

I heard a low voice say, "speak your secrets and you shall go free."

I struggled against the dirt holding me, only for it to tighten. "What in the hell is that thing?!"

"I think it's a demon. I've heard of demons that feed on the spilling of secrets. If we just tell it our secrets while it points at us it'll let us go." Vica said.

The demon pointed towards me.

"Um, I still have nightmares about losing my mom." I mumbled. 

The dirt loosened. I struggled against it and it tightened back up, holding me with a vice grip. The demon pointed towards Vica.

"I don't have any secrets-" Vica started to say, but was cut off by the dirt tightening, "Fine! Uh... There was a spell binding me to the spring so I couldn't leave, but my grandma worked in a loophole under my father's nose so that when I met my soulmate I'd be free..." She looked at me. "It's you, Freysa. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

Before I could say anything the demon pointed towards me and the dirt started to tighten. I tried to think of secrets, but only one came to mind.

"Something happened when I was going through Luton while it was under attack. I ran into some soldiers and one was about to attack me but the other stopped them... They said I was to be spared, or something." I said, voice shaky.

The demon hummed. "Thank you for your secrets."

It disappeared back under the earth, and the dirt around us fell back to the ground. I rubbed my arms, trying to soothe the soreness there. I looked to Prucin, but she wouldn't look me in the eye.

"We should make camp. It's getting late." Prucin mumbled. 

I nodded. "I'll get some wood for the fire."

I left to gather wood. I let myself be lost in the task, winding through the forest picking up broken branches and sticks. After I'd gotten a large armful I returned to camp and built a fire, easily lighting it. I laid out the blanket from the pack on the ground. It would fit two people. 

"You two get some sleep. I'll keep watch." I said.

They both nodded, laying down on the blanket. I sat under a tree, resting my back against its trunk, the bark lightly scraping my clothes. I stared at the night sky, my head swarming.

"I can't sleep." I heard Vica whisper.

"You can stay up with me." I said.

Prucin's light snore said she was asleep. Vica sat against a tree across from me, curling into a ball. She stared at the ground, an indecipherable look on her face.

"Aren't you tired?" Vica asked. 

"Not really. I'm used to staying up a lot."

"Oh."

A few minutes of silence passed before I spoke again. "So... About the um... Thing you said back there..." I trailed off.

"The soulmate thing?"

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry you had to learn of it like that. I should've told you before..."

"It's okay... What does it really mean?"

"All it has to mean is we're connected by fate, or something like that." She glanced up at me, before looking back down.

I didn't know how to feel about what she said. "How did your grandma know you'd meet me any time soon?"

"She just knew I guess... She kinda knows the future sometimes."

"Huh."

"If you don't mind me asking, why do you think you weren't attacked when your village was raided?"

"I don't know... It's weird, my mother was killed by one of Zorin's soldiers, and he didn't go after me. It's like Zorin ordered his soldiers not to attack me or something... I just don't know why."

"Do you know why he seems to be targeting the people around you so much?"

"No. I've never even met him."

"I'm sure we'll learn more when we meet him." She yawned, and continued, "I think I'm starting to get tired. I'm gonna try and get some sleep."

"Alright." 

She returned to the blanket, laying down. I looked back up to the sky, watching until it turned shades of orange and pink. I stood up, and walked over to Vica and Prucin. I lightly shook their shoulders, waking them up. Soon we were on our way to the witch village. 

Along the path we encountered a man with a cart, and he offered us a ride. I took a nap as we went, and soon we were near the witch village. We had to go the rest of the way on foot. We walked along the path, an hour or so away from our destination.

"Are you doing alright, Prucin?" I asked.

"I'm fine." She said roughly.

"Are you mad at me?" 

"Maybe. How could you not tell me about what happened with Zorin's soldiers?"

"I don't know. I just didn't want to stress you out. I'm sorry." 

She sighed. "Next time just talk to me about it."

"Alright."


	9. 8

Instead of a gate or something, we were met with a wall of brambles when we arrived at the witch village. It stretched a long way, and there was no gap in sight. It was a few feet taller than me. I could see glimpses of buildings and people through the gaps.

"Hello?" I called out.

I heard a woman's stern voice. "State your business here."

"We're on a quest to confront a king and we need some magical help. We heard there's witches here." I said.

The brambles started to move aside, leaving space for us to walk through. We hesitantly walked through, met by a middle aged woman. Her skin was light brown, similar to the clay and mud found in river banks. Her hair was black and grey, falling down her back. Her eyes were hazel, a mix of green and brown that made me think of the forest.

"My name is Zaela. Follow me. I'll lead you to a witch who may be able to help you." She said.

I nodded and we followed her to a hut made of Terra cotta clay. She stood by the doorway, nodding for us to go in. We shuffled in, and I took in the room. There was a counter covered in various pots and alchemical devices and herbs and ingredients scattered about. A bed that looked like it hadn't been slept in in a while was off in a corner. A cauldron sat on a table in the middle of the room. A familiar woman stood, with her back to us at the counter. Her blonde hair was tied in a tight braid, and her skin was pale as death. When she turned, I realized why she seemed so familiar.

"Well I never thought I'd see you again." She said to me.

I pulled out my sword, pointing it at her. "You're a vampire! What are you doing here?"

"I'm also a witch. After you nearly killed me I realized that living in the woods and taking travellers from the roads wasn't the life for me. I moved here."

"Why would they let you stay here? You're a killer!"

"Not anymore."

"Do you seriously expect me to believe you just stopped drinking blood? You tried to kill Prucin, and nearly turned me when we were just 14! You're evil."

"Oh I still drink blood. People come to me for magical help, and in return I take a bit of blood. No one gets hurt."

"I should kill you for what you've done..."

"Maybe you should. But you need help with your little king problem, don't you?"

I stiffened. "Yes."

She smiled. "Have your sister and... Friend... Leave and I'll make a deal with you."

I sighed and turned to Prucin and Vica. "You two can wait outside."

"Are you sure?" Prucin asked.

I nodded. They both left out the door. I turned to the vampire.

"I don't think we ever exchanged names. I'm Alornis.

"I'm Freysa. Now, how can you help me?" 

"First, tell me why you want to confront this king."

"He had my mother killed, and my village attacked. He needs to pay."

"So you want revenge?"

"Maybe."

"Well beating him is hard. He'll probably have some magical weapon that will get past any protection spells I cast, and some protective spell for any weapon I give you. They don't call him the arcane king for nothing. But there is one surefire way to kill him."

"What is it?"

"I know of a spell, ancient yet simple. It links two souls together, so when one goes to the underworld the other does too."

My heart skipped a beat. "So to kill him I have to die."

"Unless you can kill him on your own. But I doubt it. You don't have to do this."

I hesitated for a second. "I'll do it. Do the spell."

She nodded. "Hold out your hand."

I held it out. She took my hand, her skin cold as ice. She whispered a few spell words, and a mark appeared on my hand, some kind of rune. She looked up at me with an almost mischievous smile.

"There. We're done." I said, and tried to pull my hand away.

Her grip tightened. "There's still the matter of payment. I'll take some blood."

I could feel my hand shake a bit. "Fine. Just get it over with.

She nodded, and turned my hand over; palm up. She scraped her sharp, long nail against my skin, causing blood to creep to the surface. She leaned down, bringing her mouth to the wound. The blood seemed to flow faster as she drank. When she was finally done she offered me a bandage. I took it and sat by the fire, starting to bandage my wound. I let my thoughts move from the present to the past.

(Flashback)

"Prucin is missing. I'm going to go find her." Portra was walking through the village, nearing the road. 

"I'm going with you." I replied, falling into step beside her.

"No. You'll only get in my way." 

"Either you can waste time trying to stop me or you can let me go."

"Fine. Just don't mess things up." 

We walked through the forest awhile, following prucin's footprints. As we moved through the trees I heard faint whimpers. I ran ahead, stopping in my tracks when I saw a vampire woman holding Prucin against a tree, biting into her neck. I screamed, running towards them. I pulled the vampire off, pushing her away. She whipped around, hissing at me. We circled eachother, as Portra picked up Prucin and started to leave. The vampire lunged toward me, so fast that I could barely register it before she'd sunk her teeth into my neck. 

I felt frozen in place, unable to fight back. I watched as Portra carried Prucin away, back to town. I felt myself growing more and more tired, and passed out. I woke up with my hands tied above me, standing in a small hut. The vampire smiled at me, showing off her fangs. She walked up to me, leaning close.

"If you're going to kill me just get it over with." I growled.

"Oh no, I'm not going to kill you. There's something special about you. I'm going to make you like me. I'm just going to almost kill you." 

She bit into me again. The life drained from me. I was about to fall back into sleep when a surge of power swept through me. The hut burst into flame. The vampire stumbled back, and ran from the hut. My strength left me and I passed out again.

I woke up in the ruins of the hut, soot covering everything and creeping into my lungs. I struggled into a standing position and slowly made my way back to town. I saw Portra walking into my house and followed. I saw Prucin sitting in her bed as I collapsed, she shot out of bed, hobbling to me. She leaned down and held her hands to my wounds, a glow emitting from them. I fell into a peaceful sleep as my wounds were healed.

I awoke to see her in bed, laying weakly. "You shouldn't have healed me, you could've used to much of your energy." I murmured.

"What was I supposed to do, let you die?"

"I don't know."

(Flashback over)

Prucin and Vica walking in snapped me back to the present. I'd finished bandaging the wound. I stood up, and walked over to them. They looked at me with a bit of worry.

"Let's go." I said.

"Okay." Prucin mumbled.

We walked out and wandered the village for a minute. We stopped by an old tree and sat under it. The sun had started to set.

"What did she give you?" Vica asked.

I held out my hand. "It's some kind of protection spell."

"I don't recognize that rune." Vica said.

"She said it was old. Maybe it's too old for you to have read about it." 

"Maybe..." 

Zaela walked up to us. "If you'd like you can stay here for the night. We have an inn that you can stay in." 

"Alright. Thank you." I replied. 

She smiled. "We're having a celebration soon. There'll be a bonfire and dancing. You may join if you'd like."

"Maybe we will."

She nodded and left. We wandered the village some more as the sun travelled farther down. We came to the village center where a bonfire was being built. We sat and watched as the flames grew and grew, and women gathered to dance around the flames. A rhythmic beat filled my ears, matching my heart beat. Something in me wanted to dance.

I stood up and held my hand out to Vica.

"May I have this dance?" 

She chuckled and smiled brightly at me. "You may."

She took my hand, and we walked to the fire, and began to dance. Holding hands, spinning around, clutching each other. My heart beat was fast, and I was warm all over. Something about it just felt right. We grew closer and closer, lips almost touching. 

Suddenly my heart seemed to stop and my gut sank, I broke away, stumbling a bit. "Um, I think I need some air. I'm gonna go for a walk."

Her eyes filled with worry and something like hurt. "Okay."

I walked off, breaking into a run when I was out of sight. I collapsed in the dark near a hut, back against the rough clay. My breaths came fast and shallow, and I tried to calm down. I closed my eyes, forcing myself to take deep breaths.

"Why'd you run off? You seemed to be having a good time." I heard Alornis' voice, something between concern and mocking.

"Go away." I opened my eyes to glare at her.

She met my glare with a wink. "What, were you afraid you'd be a bad kisser?"

"Shut up." I grabbed a rock and threw it at her half-heartedly, not surprised when she easily dodged it.

She chuckled and sat down next to me. "Come on, talk to me."

"Why would I ever talk with a vampiric demon like you?" I growled.

"Who else are you going to talk to?" 

I blinked, and then sighed, sinking lower to the ground. "I just... Panicked."

"Why?" She seemed to be genuinely concerned, or at least curious now.

"I just... Didn't think I'd ever feel like that... Or that I'd ever get to have that... I don't know if I even deserve it." I mumbled, fidgeting with my hands.

"You deserve love and happiness." She looked me in the eyes. The red in hers glowed in the dark.

"Are you just trying to trick me into trusting you?"

"No, but that sounds like something I'd do."

I stayed silent for a moment, then said, "Is it wrong to let me and her get close if I'm probably going to die tomorrow?"

"Does it matter?"

"It matters if it hurts her."

"I think you're past that."

I looked down at the spell mark on my hand. "I need to do this." I whispered.

"But do you really?"

I sighed. "I'm gonna head to bed. Tomorrow will be a big day." 

She nodded, staying on the ground as I got up. I made my way back to Prucin and Vica, told them I was heading to bed, and went to the inn. I found our room and plopped into one of the beds, falling asleep quickly.

(Dream)

Portra had left our little classroom, and I was spacing out when I heard a commotion.

"Hey, aren't you the sister of that fire freak? Are you a freak too?" A little boy mocked, getting up out of his seat.

My sister, small of stature and a bit shorter than him curled in on herself a bit, "Uh, um, I don't know what you're talking about."

I stood up, but he didn't notice. 

"I bet you're a little freak! With some demonic powers! You shouldn't be in our class, weirdo!" The little boy took a step towards her.

"Please just leave me alone." She said, voice trembling.

"Shut up!" He whipped his hand back and started to strike.

I sprung forward, grabbing his hand in a flaming fist. He cried out, pulling away and running to the other side of the room. Prucin went after him, gently taking his hand in hers. A soft glow came from her hands, and his burn was healed. He blinked away his tears and muttered a thanks before running out of the room. Prucin walked towards me.

"How could you do that? You hurt his hand, badly!." She said. It was rare for her to get this mad.

""He was going to hit you. I was protecting you." I crossed my arms.

"I didn't need you to protect me! Do you just not care that you hurt someone?" She stomped her foot, voice rising. 

I glanced down at the floor, arms tightening around me.

"You just don't care about anybody. Maybe you are a freak."

My gaze snapped back to hers as my eyes widened. My lip started to tremble as a small gasp left them.

She blinked and her expression softened, "Oh no, I didn't mean that. I'm sor-" 

I ran from the room, making my way out of town to the nearby river. I sat down on the bank, curling into myself. Tears fell down my cheeks and dripped down into the mud.


	10. 9

I looked at the map, leaning against a tree. We'd been walking for a few after leaving the witch village in the early morning. We'd chatted along the way, trying not to let the dread drip in. 

"My guess is we'll be there in a bit. The trees are starting to thin out, so we should be out of the forest soon. Then we just have to find a way across the water." I said, putting the map back in the pack. 

"Alright." Vica said. 

We resumed our journey, quiet as we made our way down the path. Soon enough we'd made our way through the forest, finding ourselves near a dock with a small rowboat tied up.

"We can take this." I said, stepping into the boat.

"Are you sure we should just steal it?" Prucin asked, tentatively.

"It'll be fine." I replied.

She sighed and stepped into the boat, sitting down. Vica slipped into the water, pushing the boat along as we rowed. We went fast, reaching the island shore in a matter of minutes. We dragged the boat onto the shore, and walked up to the castle doors. 

"Alright. I'm going in alone." I said.

"What? No. You can't do this alone." Prucin replied.

"I can. Besides, the more of us go in the more likely we'll get caught. And I'm the only one with a protection rune."

Prucin sighed. "Why didn't we get those..."

"So that I'd be able to do this on my own." I looked to the stone doors, foreboding, with intricate designs carved in.

"You don't have to do this. We can go back. This is too much of a risk." Prucin out her have on my shoulder.

I pulled away and grit my teeth. "No. I need to do this. I'll be okay. Now I'm going."

"Fine." Prucin crossed her arms.

"Just um... Be careful." Vica said.

I nodded, trying to ignore the hint of words unsaid. I walked up to the doors, putting a hand on one. It opened before I could even push. I strode in, steps light. The doors closed behind me.

Torches lit themselves along the walls, and shadows flickered against the rough stone.

I felt some sense of where to go, as if pushed forward by some deeper instinct. I crept through the castle halls, stopping at a room with a small wooden door. I felt drawn to it, and slowly opened the door. 

It was a small library, filled with books and scrolls from the world over with dozens of different languages peeking from them. There was one book that caught my eye. It was covered in dust, unlike all the others, with no words or symbols. I set my hand on the cover. Something came over me, and I opened it. 

Instead of pages, a hand shot out of the book. I stumbled back, watching as someone, or something, clawed their way out of the book. When they were out they steadied themselves against the table, taking a moment to gather themselves. They were just a bit too tall to be human, with dark umber skin and curly black hair in tight coils. Their eyes were the yellow of old paper.

"What are you?" I asked.

They fixed me with a smile and said, "I'm Anitoria, god of knowledge. I know everything that's ever been written down. Thank you for freeing me."

"Why were you in a book?" I asked.

"Zorin trapped me. Now you must get on with your destiny. If you ever have need of me after you're done with this king, simply call on me." They snapped their fingers and disappeared. 

I blinked, turning and leaving the room. I had other things to deal with. I made my way up the stairs, following my gut. I finally made my way to the top of a turret, and stepped through an open door. There stood Zorin, sitting in an ornate chair.

"I've been expecting you." He said.

His violet eyes seemed to stare into my soul. He looked young, no wrinkles marred his pale skin. There was no gray in his brown hair. I knew he had to be older than he looked.

"Why are you targeting me? How do you even know me? I need answers." My voice was hard and strong, not betraying the fear in my heart.

"You'll get your answers in a moment." 

With a wave of his hands some force threw me towards a window. I tumbled out, only saved by one hand tightly gripping the edge. I pulled myself up and stood, not even having time to react before he was lunging forward, thrusting a sword into me. 

The pain of a sword in my gut was one that was hard not to succumb to. My teeth grit so hard I could feel the pressure in my bones, and I fought for harsh breaths. Blood started to pool on the ground, and flow out the window.

Zorin's face was grim as he said, "you've lost, girl."

Something between a grin and a grimace pulled up the corners of my mouth. "No, we lost."

I grabbed his hand with one hand and raised my other. The spell mark on it shifted and lashed off, growing and solidifying into a blade that fell into my fingers. I stabbed through our joined hands, and watched as the color drained from his face. A bloodstain started to form on his shirt.

My knees buckled, and I started to fall through the open window. My grip on Zorin pulled him down with me, and his sword tore its way out of my gut. I looked down to see the sea fast approaching. On instinct I took in a deep breath, hitting the water at a crooked angle that sent shocks of pain through me.

The agony of my wounds and the sting of the salt flowing into them was distant, separated now. I drifted down, watching the water start to turn red with my blood. Something in me stirred, and I worked to move my limbs, haphazardly trying to thrash my way up. I struggled against the urge to cough and let water in as blood filled my lungs. 

My heartbeat pounded in me as it slowed, and I desperately kept trying to reach the surface. Eyes affixed to the sun's rays moving through the water, dark spots started to cover the light. Hot tears mixed with the overbearing salt water as I gave one last weak kick. The life was draining from me faster than I could swim. I was too weak. I couldn't give in, not until my last-


	11. 10

(Flashback)

I hid, my back against the cold wall. I'd never figured out what the halls of this place were made of. I listened in to what my father and mother were saying.

"She's been doing good, hasn't she? She's been avoiding the human souls." My mother said, a smile on her face I knew was fake.

"But perhaps she's only avoiding them to avoid the ice. She may still be... Soft." My father said the word soft as if it were something to be squashed.

"Can't you just accept she is making progress? You could stand to go a little easier on her. She is your daughter." My mother replied, tone light, almost joking as if that would protect her.

My father growled, fists curling. "Before that she is my tool to destroy the rotten world above. She can't be soft. There can be no love in her heart for humans. I'll do whatever it takes to snuff it out, even if that means putting her back in the ice for another few hundred years." 

My mother leaned away, nodding her head. "Of course, my husband."

I crept away until I was out of earshot and then went into a jog, running without thinking about where I was going. I ended up in the entrance to this infernal place, the underworld.

Numis looked up at me. "What are you doing here?" 

"Nothing." I replied flatly.

"You can't fool me. And if you think you'll be able to fool your father, you're wrong. He's the god of death, not some foolish mortal." They said, grey eyes narrowed. 

"Are you gonna tell him I was here?"

"No."

"Huh. I thought you were his main reaper."

"I am. But he doesn't need to know everything. Now help me with something. A new soul is coming."

I stiffened. Before I could say anything, the soul of a small baby floated from a hole in the ceiling down to my arms. I grimaced, trying to hand her to Numis.

"No, keep her. I need to tune the scale." Numis said, not looking up from the small scale they were fiddling with.

I looked down at the small child. She grabbed at me with her little hands, cooing. I fought to keep a smile off my face. Numis came over and waved a pale, clawed hand over her. Their hand started to glow. They went back to the scale and dipped their hand, the glow turning to sand and gathering on one side of the scale. 

The scale didn't move.

"Why didn't it do anything?" I asked.

Numis frowned slightly. "The child died at birth. She did nothing that could affect her placement in the underworld. She'll be going to purgatory.

My eyes widened. "What? You can't put a baby in purgatory!"

"This is just the way of things. Now hand her over."

I held her closer to my chest, taking a step back. "No."

"You don't want to do this. Your father will put you back in the ice." Numis said, carefully.

I looked into the baby's eyes. They were fixed on me, as she reached forward with one tiny hand to grab at my chin. I couldn't let her go.

She glowed slightly, and then I was glowing. Some strange feeling crept over me, like I was being pulled apart and filled up at the same time. In a blink of an eye I was a baby on the hard floor, almost human now.

Numis walked over and picked me up. With a small smile they said, "living souls don't belong in the underworld. I'll send you home."

\----

I woke with a start, the dream.. or maybe memory fresh in my head. I was in the same pool I'd woken up in a few nights ago, the room empty. Everything felt off.

I realized I didn't feel the need to breathe. I couldn't hear or feel my heartbeat. I was cold all over. I looked down, and instead of my calloused tan hands I saw pale, smooth, clawed ones. I looked in the reflection of the pool to see fangs in place of my teeth and slitted pupils in my eyes. I shook, stumbling out of the water. I fell on the ground, and heard the doors fling open. Footsteps came towards me and I whipped around, seeing Vica and Prucin run in.

"You're finally awake!" Prucin yelled. 

They both dove at me, squishing me in a hug. I held onto them both, leaning my head on Vica's shoulder. Tears formed in my eyes and I relaxed in their embrace. They both pulled away slightly, and blinked when they saw my eyes. They looked at my hands, now clawed. I waited for them to run. Instead, Prucin took one of my hands.

"What... What happened?" She asked, staring down.

"I... I don't know." I replied.

"Whatever it is we'll figure it out. Everything will be fine." Vica said, smiling softly at me.

I smiled slightly, only for it to falter when the doors flew open again. Norvin stood in the doorway. He took one look at me, and his eyes widened and his fists curled.

"You're a monster. You've been a monster this whole time, haven't you?! Stealing my daughter away from me! Well I'll put you in my dungeon. You're never getting out." He ordered his guards to grab me.

I was too weak to fight, no matter how hard I struggled against their grip I couldn't escape. They dragged me through the castle halls to a dungeon made of ice, and threw me in, closing the door. The room got unnaturally cold. 

I shivered, pounding at the door, trying to summon fire. Nothing. Worked. The last bit of strength I had left my body, and I collapsed.

(Flashback) 

"Please, she's my friend! She's not evil!" Nova cried, fighting against the chains binding her to the chair in the center of town. The townspeople and priests gathered around her, chanting as a mob.

"No, that thing is a demon trying to corrupt you! We will burn it from you!" A priest shouted.

He nodded to a man who held a torch, and he started to walk forward. I ran in front of Nova, letting myself be visible. The townspeople stumbled back. Nova looked to me.

"Tell them we're just friends! Tell them you're innocent!" She pleaded.

I looked into the eyes of the crowd. There was no mercy there, no hope of convincing them. I put on my best fake smile, laughing forcefully.

"You caught me, you foul mortals. I've been manipulating this girl the whole time."

"No! Why are you lying?" Nova cried.

I kept myself from breaking the facade. "It's no fun continuing a ruse if I've been caught. I'll leave your little village and this girl, and find another soul to corrupt. Goodbye, puny ants." I waved my arms, surrounding myself in walls of flames and turning invisible. I walked away, watching.

The head priest seemed to contemplate for a minute, then said, "The demon has left. Send the girl to the asylum where she can recover from her experience."

The other priests nodded. I summoned a portal to the underworld for myself, heading through. I made my way to my room, curling in a ball on the floor. I couldn't help but think of all the time I'd spent with Nova, all the picnics and midnight swims. I told her about everything I'd seen and she told me about what it was like to be human. And now I could never see her again.

I jumped when the door swung open. My father walked in. "I know you've been fraternizing with a mortal. A human, even worse. You've grown soft. You need to be taught to be cold. And I know just the way." 

Two reapers walked in, faces faded from memory. They grabbed me, and started to drag me out of the room. I tried to fight but they were too strong. They took me to a dungeon of ice. I struggled as hard as I could, but they managed to throw me in anyway. The door was closed before I could move. I crawled to the door, pounding my fists against it.

"You can't just keep me in here!" I shouted.

"Oh, but I can." My father said, turning his back and walking away.

The cold burrowed its way into my bones, and I slowly and painfully lost consciousness.

(Flashback over)

Things started to come into focus as I woke up, leaning against Vica. She was holding me up, dragging me out of the cell. My arms tightened around her and my fingers curled in her shirt. I burrowed my head into her shoulder.

"Come on, just stay awake for me. You can do it. I'm gonna get you out of here." She whispered to me.

I faded in and out of consciousness as she pulled me out of the castle through secret passageways and hidden doors to a small cave nearby. I passed out again.

I woke up, fully awake now. I was laying on the ground with my head against her thigh. I groggily pushed myself up, finding myself leaning on her. I was weak and tired, my strength still sapped from me.

"You're awake. Good, we need to get out of here." She said, standing up.

"What about Prucin?" I asked, voice raspy.

"My grandma will help her find us, now let's go." She held out her hand to me, and I took it, letting her help me up.

We walked from the cave, only to be confronted by Norvin and a few soldiers. Korsa followed, letting out a string of curses and apologies.

"I'm sorry dears, I tried to stop them." She cried.

Norvin walked up, pointing a spear towards me. "Get away from my daughter, demon." 

"I won't hurt her, or any of you. I don't even know why I'm like this." I said, holding my hands up.

He nodded to a soldier by his side. The soldier lifted a spear and threw it at me. Before I could react Vica was pushing me out of the way, and the spear pierced her arm. Norvin and Korsa both cried out.

Something in me switched on. Walls of fire flashed to life around me and Vica, keeping the others at bay. I placed my hand on the wound, leaking water, and before my eyes, something like obsidian sealed the wound. Suddenly a cut split the skin on my arm, in the same place. Vica looked up at me, eyes wide.

"You healed me." She murmured.

"I...I did." I muttered in awe.

"No... This isn't possible." Norvin stuttered from behind me.

"It is, my son. They're soulmates. She healed her by taking her pain. It's a magic only possible when two souls are connected." Korsa said.

"No, my daughter is not soulmates with a demon! She can't be!" He yelled.

"Accept the truth. Accept that this demon isn't evil." Korsa said.

Norvin hesitated before saying, "Fine. We should return to the castle. All of you go on for a moment, I need to speak to Freysa for a moment." 

Korsa and Vica nodded nervously, and left with the soldiers. Norvin stared at the ground for a moment, fists curling. He finally looked up at me, glaring.

"I don't trust you. I know what you are, monster. If you even look at my daughter wrong I will end you."


	12. 11

I caught up to Vica and Korsa, falling in step with them. Vica looked at me, a concerned look on her face.

"Could we talk somewhere?"

"Of course, come on." She broke away from the group, and I followed. 

The others walked into the castle as we walked to a small pavilion with two benches. We sat down across from each other. I looked down, fidgeting with my hands.

"Your father called me a monster." I spoke up.

She gasped. "I'm so sorry. He's just so rude sometimes."

"I think he might be right." My stomach flipped.

"What do you mean?"

"I've been having these dreams. They're so real, I think they might be… memories."

"Okay. We can figure this out. My grandma can use the healing pool waters to help you clear your mind, if you'd like." She replied.

I nodded. "I'd like that."

***

"Now, I should be able to help stabilize your mind and allow you to find clarity in the memories and dreams you've been having, but it may not be easy on you. You need to be prepared." Korsa said, leading me to the pool of water in the center of the room.

"Let's just get this over with." I replied.

"Alright. You'll lie in the pool, and I will gently push your head down so you'll be submerged. Your head needs to be submerged in the healing waters for this to work effectively, dear. Now get in, I'll try to make this quick." Korsa said.

I looked to Vica and Prucin, and they gave me reasurring looks. I slipped into the pool, laying down and closing my eyes. Korsa's fingers gently pressed into my forehead, pushing my head down into the water. The water surrounded me. It became heavier and heavier, and my mind began to race. I pushed against it, rising out of the water and stumbling out of the pool. I sensed movement towards me and a wall of flames surrounded me. When I looked up I saw the others stumbling back.

I held my hands to my core as they shook. "I-I'm sorry, I don't know what happened, I'm sorry," I rambled. The wall of flames fell.

Korsa kneeled down by me, taking my hands in hers. "Oh my dear girl, I'm sorry. I didn't think about what being submerged would do to you. It must've reminded you of when you died."

"I don't know what happened... Why did that happen?"

"When something bad happens to us, like what happened to you, it affects our souls and minds. Something that reminds us of a traumatic time can make us relive our pain. I know you're scared, but you're safe now. You're not dying. You're here, with us."

I leaned forward and onto her, clinging to her. My whole body shook as I choked out sobs, letting out everything I had into her shoulder. The sobs slowed, and eventually ended. I pulled away, wiping my eyes.

"Sorry." I murmured.

"It's alright, dear. I'm here whenever you need a shoulder to cry on." She replied, squeezing my arm.

"I think we should try again." I sniffled slightly.

"Are you sure?" She asked.

"I need to figure all this out. This is the only way." 

She seemed to contemplate it for a second. "Alright, but this time you'll hold onto Vica and Prucin. They'll be your tether to reality."

I nodded, sinking back into the pool. Prucin walked up and took my hand, squeezing it. Vica took my other hand in hers and gave a smile. I closed my eyes. Korsa pushed my head back under the water. As the water started to get heavier I focused on the cool feeling of Vica's hands holding onto mine, and the warm steadiness of Prucin's hand squeezing mine. The fog in my mind lifted and everything became clear. I sat up.

"I remember." I stated, slinging my legs over the side of the pool. I stood up and took a few steps. My hands shook as I wrung the water from my hair. "I think I remember everything."

"What do you remember?" Vica asked.

"I was in the underworld. My father was… the god of death. I think… I think I'm a demi-god." 

Prucin blinked. "What, that doesn't make any sense. You're my sister. Our dad isn't the god of death."

"I was born hundreds of years ago." 

"Well how were you a baby when we were both born then?"

"When I was in the underworld I soul melded with a baby that had died during birth. Our new soul was sent up, and came to its most natural place. My- well your sister's body. Somebody wiped my memory, so it was like I was just a newborn baby." I said, the memories becoming clearer in my head.

"No, none of that makes any sense!" 

"I know it's hard to believe, but it's the truth."

"You're not the daughter of the death god, that's crazy! You're my sister." She threw her hand up.

I put my hand on her shoulder. "It's both. I may be a demon… And a demi-god, but I spent 20 years by your side, as your sister. You're my family in a way my father never has been and never will be."

She stepped back. "I think I need to take a walk."

As she left Vica stepped forward and put her hand on my arm. "Come on, I think you need a break. We can leave the castle and go sit by the bay."

She led me out of the castle and to a small boat in a canal that would take us through the kingdom to the bay it was built into. We sat, and I tried to ignore the stares of passing water elementals.

I stared into the water, watching the ripples as the boat moved through it. "Why don't you think I'm a monster?" I mumbled.

"I know you. You're not a monster." She replied.

"But you don't know me. Not all of me. You don't know who I was before I soul melded my way into a human childhood." 

"Then tell me. What was life like in the underworld?"

"Well... Growing up my father trained me to use my powers to destroy things. My mother was distant. When my father wasn't making me train I spent a lot of time with the souls down in the underworld. I became curious about the world above. I snuck out every once in a while, and met a human girl. Nova. She was kind, and accepted me even though I was a demon. We became friends but... Eventually the priests in her town discovered our friendship. Even when they threatened her, she defended me. So I pretended to be manipulating her and to leave so they'd think there was no more demons in their town and they'd spare her. When I went back to the underworld my father was waiting. He... Trapped me in a dungeon made of ice for hundreds of years. I stayed away from the souls and didn't leave the underworld but he knew I was just doing it out of fear. That was when I soul melded with the baby..."

"I've read that the human soul has to accept the meld. Why do you think she did?"

"Because it'd give her the chance to be with her family. And it'd keep her out of purgatory for however long I lived."

"Why would she go to purgatory?"

"She died during her birth. She'd done nothing to affect her placement in the underworld, which meant she'd go to the neutral place, purgatory. "

"So you kind of saved her from that."

"I delayed the inevitable. A human soul that melds with a demon is doomed to purgatory. It's the price for a second life."

"Oh... Well you gave her twenty more years. That was good."

"I suppose..."

"Was there... Anyone who really cared for you in the underworld? Your parents sound kind of... Not great."

"My grandmother was nice. She cared for me. After I got out of the ice, she was the only one there for me. And I suppose Numis, my father's head reaper must've cared. They were the one who sent me up here so my new soul could find a body. They must've cared at least a bit."

"That's nice. I guess even in the underworld there's good people."

I smiled a bit. "Yeah." 

Before Vica could say anything a water elemental appeared from the water nearby and turned to Vica. "Your father needs to speak with you both. It's urgent." They said, then disappeared back under the water.

Vica sighed. "We should go see what's wrong."

I nodded. "Alright."

She propelled the boat back to the castle and we got out, heading in. We soon ran into her father, Korsa, and Prucin. Norvin looked up, worry etched on his face. 

"What's wrong, father?" Vica asked.

"It's the ice elementals. They're going to attack. We've sent out scouts and we've gotten intel that says they have some kind of spell that will break down the spell barrier... I'm not so sure we can withstand their attack. Our army is already weakened. We might not have enough fighters." Norvin explained.

"I might be able to help... Were there ever any great battles here?" I asked.

"No. Not that we know of, anyway." Norvin replied.

"Damn it... I have a plan, I just need to know the history of this place." 

With a crackling sound and the smell of old books filling my nose Anitoria, god of knowledge, appeared before me. "I was waiting for you." They said with a smile.

"Who in the hell are you?" Norvin asked, tensing.

"I'm Anitoria, a god of knowledge. Don't worry, King Norvin Aquaris, I mean you no harm. I simply owe Freysa Dinum some help." They turned to me. "There has been a great battle here, between an army of humans and earth elementals."

"Where are their remains?" I asked.

"The humans took the remains of their fallen comrades, but the earth elementals became part of the earth here. Is that all?" They asked.

I nodded, and with another crackle they left. "I can help."

"Why do you need remains? Are you going to perform some demonic necromancy spell?" Norvin scoffed.

"Not a spell, and not exactly demonic." I replied.

"It's our best shot, son. They'll be here soon. Now let's go make some zombies. " Korsa said, and gave me a reassuring smile.

Norvin narrowed his eyes. "Fine."

We left the castle, walking out to where the crystalline architecture ended and the soil began. I sat down on the ground, placing my hands on the earth. I closed my eyes, focusing on the remains of the elementals. I attuned myself to their energy, and felt a connection be made.

I opened my eyes and saw that my hands had started to glow silver. "Earth elementals of old, I command you to rise again and fight for this land." 

The ground shook as humanoid forms made of soil and rock rose from the earth, crumbling slightly and glowing a faint grey. There was a chill in the air, and snowflakes had started to fall. 

"We need to get our army out here and get inside." Norvin said. 

We went inside the castle, and Norvin left to summon his army. Korsa left to do something too, and left me, Vica, and Prucin alone. We found our way to a balcony overlooking the battle field. Our army was marching out to the battle, and the ice army was marching towards the kingdom. One ice elemental at the front stopped and nocked an arrow in their bow, firing it at the magic barrier. My stomach flipped as it broke.

There were a few moments of complete silence, and then the battle started. The two sides charged each other. They clashed in the middle, small fights immediately breaking out. We helped as much as we could, I sent arrows of fire down onto the ice elementals, Prucin muttered protection spells for our army, and Vica knocked any ice elementals away with the river's water when they got close enough.

The battle seemed to be won, and the ice elemental leaders called for their army to fall back. They ran across the battlefield, then all turned in almost perfect unison. The river turned to ice and rose up, forming into hundreds of spikes, moving towards our army.


	13. 12

Within seconds of the ice spikes hitting I reflexively summoned a wall of blue flames between them and the battlefield. Our army turned to see a wall of vapor rising. The ice elementals readied their weapons again, getting ready to charge.

I turned to Vica. "Can you use the river water to get me down there?" I asked.

She nodded, focusing on the water. Her nose scrunched up and her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. A pillar of water rose from the river and wrapped around me, bringing me down between the armies. The ice elementals started to charge. I summoned another wall of blue fire between us. I heard gasps come from them. Mutters of me being a demon.

"Begone, or I'll drain the life from your very bodies and burn you all in the fires of hell!" I yelled, keeping my voice harsh, and my face stone cold.

They retreated, running back into the forest. I let the wall of flames fall. I heard footsteps behind me to see Prucin and Vica running up, and Norvin walking towards me. His eyes were narrowed.

"You shouldn't have done that. Now the ice elementals are going to tell everyone that my kingdom is guarded by a..." Norvin grumbled.

"A monster?" I said, and glanced at the ground, crossing my arms.

"Father, she just helped to save our kingdom. Again. You could stand to be a bit nicer." Vica said.

Norvin scoffed. I pretended to yawn and said, "I'm getting tired."

"Come on, you can stay in my room." Vica said. "I'll arrange for someone to find Prucin a room, you don't have to worry about that." She continued before I could say anything.

I nodded. Vica led me to her room, stopping to ask someone to find Prucin a room. We went through the final door. Her room was small, at least for a princess. There were books scattered about, and pieces of art from different places. The bed was in the corner, large with multiple blankets. She walked over to it and patted it 

"You can lay down here. I might be up for a while, I'm not sure if I'll be able to sleep." She said. 

I nodded, and laid down on the bed, closing my eyes. I laid there for a while, but sleep didn't come. 

"You're not sleeping, are you?" I heard Vica say.

I curled up tighter on the bed. "No."

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"I'm fine."

"I know you're lying. You can tell me what's wrong. I won't judge you or anything."

"I think your dad's right. I am a monster."

"Why do you think that?" Her voice was soft, and something about it made my heart squeeze.

I turned over, facing the wall. She sighed and walked over to the bed, crawling over to the other side. She laid down beside me, looking me in the eyes.

"Just tell me, Freysa."

My brows furrowed and I sighed. "Do you know why my father had a child?"

"No. Why?"

"Because his child would be incredibly powerful, and be able to kill anyone, unlike him. He can't kill any mortal unless it's one of the very seconds they're fated to die. He wanted a child that could kill every living thing. I was made to destroy the world."

"That doesn't mean you have to be that."

"But what if it does? What if that's my destiny?" 

"Well you're not some fated destroyer to me. You're a savior. You helped save my kingdom, twice. And you saved me."

"How did I save you?"

"If it weren't for you I'd probably still be the unwilling guardian of the spring. I've always felt... Trapped in this kingdom, until I met you. You make me feel free."

"Thank you..." I glanced away, trying not to blush. Before she could respond, she yawned. "Maybe you should get some sleep." 

She yawned again. "Maybe." I moved to leave the bed but she grabbed my hand. "You can stay... If you want

I was definitely blushing now. I laid down on my back, staring at the ceiling. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," she mumbled sleepily.

A sense of calm washed over me, and I was finally able to sleep. For once I didn't dream any messed up thing. Sunlight leaking through the window pulled me from my slumber and I sat up, turning to look at Vica. She was reading some old storybook. A knock on the door took my attention away from her.

Prucin walked in and mumbled, "Hey." 

"Hey, how are you doing?" I asked.

"I'm alright, I guess." She stared at the floor.

Vica looked up from her book. "I'm sorry you keep getting caught up in my kingdom's troubles, it must be stressful."

"It's okay..." She said, then looked up at me. "I want to go home now, Fee. I know it may be difficult with your fangs and claws and everything but I think there might be a spell that could hide it." 

"Okay." I said, and glanced at Vica.

"My grandma might have something for that. We can go see her now." Vica said.

I nodded. We got up and left, finding Korsa in her room. She had a few books out on the tables. Her bookshelves were a bit messy, as if they'd been rummaged through. It took her a few seconds to look up after we walked in.

"Oh, hello. What do you need?" She asked with a smile."

"Some spell or something to hide my, well, demonic features." I said.

"I've got something for that." She stood up and grabbed a bracelet made of shells from a shelf, and handed it to me. "Wear this and it'll make you look human again." 

I slid it onto my wrist, and with a slight snap sound my demonic features were gone. I could even hear my heart beating, but couldn't feel it in my chest.

"Thank you." I said.

"No problem." She replied, sitting back down to look through her books.

We left her room, hovering in the corridor. "So I guess we should go now." I said, feeling something in my heart twist as I glanced at Vica.

"I'll go with you." She said, as if she'd been planning it from the start.

My heart fluttered. "Are you sure?" 

"Yes. I'd rather be with you then stay here." She replied.

"Alright. Let's go then." 

She nodded, and we continued down the corridor. We weaved through the castle halls, coming to the exit. We went out, running into a guard.

"Tell my parents that I'm going on a trip." Vica said.

"But princess, you really shouldn't leave."

"Well I'm doing it anyway." She replied.

We continued until we found a dock by the river and got into a boat, and sat for the ride back home. We talked along the way. Prucin seemed a bit withdrawn, almost refusing to look at me. After a few hours we found ourselves back in Luton. We walked up to the edge of town. The walls of fire were gone.

Portra strolled towards us, a glare fixed on me. I expected her to welcome Prucin back, or yell at me, but I didn't expect what she actually did. She pulled out a knife with a holy symbol carved in and drove it into my gut. Pain flared through me, and I watched in horror as the spell hiding my demonic features broke. Gasps came from the other people of the village who had come around.

"I put up a spell that would detect demons after you left, just in case Zorin sent any here to finish off our village. But it only just now went off. Because of you. You're the demon, Freysa. I always knew it. I knew you were a monster this whole time!" Porta said, her eyes alight with something between rage and joy.

"It's not what you think." I stumbled back, wincing as the knife tore out of me.

She stepped forward. "Oh it's exactly what I think. You're a demon, and I'm going to kill you." 

She brought the knife down towards me, and i dodged, grabbing her wrist. I focused on the hilt of the knife, heating it up until she dropped it, recoiling. I ducked down and picked it up, my hand shaking. 

"I'm not just a demon. The whole time you were raising Prucin and I, I was human. I didn't even know there was anything demonic in me." 

"Don't try to manipulate me!" She lunged at me. 

I grabbed onto her and pushed her away. "Stop it!"

"Or what? You'll use your evil power on me? Go ahead, show these people what a monster you are!"

"I'm not a monster and I never have been! But you are. I was just a girl when you raised me, and you were vile and cruel to me. You were supposed to protect me and you hurt me more times than I can count. You used your magic against me, all because you thought I deserved it. I was just a child, and you didn't care. You're the only monster here." I held up the knife.

"And now you're going to kill me?" 

"No. There are people in this village that depend on you, and I won't hurt them by hurting you." I tossed the knife to the ground.

"Oh don't pretend to care."

"This village is my home. I do care."

"Come on, Prucin, you have to see her for what she is." Portra looked to Prucin, her eyes pleading.

"I..." Prucin crossed her arms, staring at the ground.

A crackle sound came and a woman appeared before us. Her brown hair was laced with gray, and her eyes sparkled violet. She wore robes, draped around her body with runes stitched into the fabric. She smiled, a dark twisted smile. She reminded me of someone.

"So here's the bitch who killed my son." She said, fixing me with a glare.

I realized she reminded me of Zorin. Before I could say anything, she muttered something in an ancient language. Prucin picked up the knife from the ground, looking at her. The woman smiled even wider. Before I could react Prucin lunged at me, driving the knife into my gut.


	14. 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: There's a very brief mention of past rape in this chapter

My eyes widened in shock. Vica moved towards us only for vines to grow from the ground and ensnare her.

"P-Prucin, what the hell?" I said, voice shaking.

"Now you know what she really thinks of you." The woman said, stepping back.

Prucin drove the knife in deeper. A burning sensation flowed from the wound through my body, and I collapsed on my knees. The smell of burning flesh filled my nose, and when I looked down all there was was a glow from the knife. I pulled it out, looking up at Prucin. Her veins seemed to turn black, and her eyes went red.

"W-why?" I stuttered out.

"Because you're a monster. You stole my little sister's body, masqueraded as her for years! It's your fault my mother is dead. Only death could follow you. I hate you." She yelled.

"No, it's not like that!"

With a snap of her fingers shards of ice formed in the nearby river and flung themselves at me, piercing through my skin. I cried out, crawling away. My vision blurred as tears filled my eyes and the ice melted, as my body heated up. A circle of fire came to life around me, sheltering me. My hands shook as my fingers dug into the dirt. The grass began to wither and die against my skin. As the decay spread I felt myself grow stronger, my wounds healing. 

"The things you touch die, and you want to claim you're not a monster? Bullshit."

I turned, scrambling upwards. The fire sparked around me as I held a hand to my stomach, the ache of recently healed wounds pounding in me. Prucin narrowed her eyes, and took a step towards me. The woman walked forward and put her hand on her shoulder. 

"We'll finish this another time. Patience is key." With a wave of her hand the woman and Prucin disappeared.

I stumbled forward and fell to my knees as the fire died, calling out, "No!"

The vines around Vica fell and she ran to me, dropping to her knees beside me. She reached out to put her hand on my shoulder. I flinched.

"We'll figure this out. It's going to be okay." She said, brow furrowed.

I shook my head. "That woman must've infected her with some spell. I need to know what it was, I need to fix this."

A familiar crackle and the scent of old books were followed by Anitoria appearing. "It was a spell that forces a being to be able to only feel and focus on one emotion. In this case it was hate." They explained.

"Is there any way to undo it?" I asked.

"I've never heard of it being undone. It's rare for this spell to be cast, so there's not much record of it. The only person alive with any experience of it is Silvu, keeper of the forest of eternal winter. I do believe you've met him." 

"Alright." 

"Is that all?"

"Yes."

They disappeared with a flash. I stood up. I took a step, and when my foot landed I was in a field facing a small cabin, with Vica still beside me. Somebody walked out of the cabin. Their features were perfect, as if sculpted from marble. Their eyes were a brilliant gold and their hair was a pale blonde. They wore a toga, draped over their thin frame. Their skin was tanned by the sun, as if they spent their days under it's rays.

They spoke. "Come in, Freysa."

I narrowed my eyes. "How do you know my name? Who are you?"

"I'm family. Now come in, I want to help you." They said, then turned and walked into the cabin. 

I hesitantly followed with Vica behind me, stepping into the cabin. The cabin was filled with basic furniture. The only decorations were wooden carved trinkets and dusty vases of vibrant aconite flowers. 

The person spoke up. "My name is Vunitas. Sit, and I'll explain everything."

Two chairs appeared as they sat down. I hesitantly sat, and Vica followed suit. "You said you're family. Who are you?"

Vunitas smiled warmly. "I'm Prucin's father... And your father's sister."

"My father never mentioned you." I replied. Eyebrows furrowing, I tried to process the new information.

"I'm sure he didn't. He wouldn't want you knowing about me." A sad look entered their eyes.

"Why not?"

"I'm the god of life."

"How can you be the god of life while he's the god of death?"

"It's a long story." They glanced away at the ground.

"Well I need to hear it." I crossed my arms.

They sighed. "Alright. I'll tell you. Your father and I were demi-gods, our parents were the former goddess of death and god of life. We were close as we grew up. Our mother took us to the divine realm sometimes, but he always seemed uneasy there, as if he felt he didn't belong. The only person he grew close to was a servant of the gods who'd been blessed with immortality, Delro. Every year my power grew stronger, and his stayed the same. When we were sixteen I was called to the divine realm to hone my powers, but he wasn't allowed to come. Our mother was busy, so I went alone. Delro was supposed to take me to where I was supposed to go, but he took me to some abandoned corner of the realm and..." They paused, their fists curling. 

They took a deep breath and continued. "He forced himself on me. I escaped the realm, and kept running until I passed out near a village of witches. You were just there, actually. They took me in, and kept me safe. I discovered I was pregnant within a few weeks, and stayed until I went into labor. The baby died during birth. I was predisposed to become a god of life, and making life made me into one. It was how the first goddess of life was made, she was the first person to ever give birth, and legend said the act of creating a life gave her her power. I was... Heartbroken. I wanted to find my family, but there can only be one god of life or death. My father died the moment I took his place, and my brother had become the god of death before I could find my mother... I couldn't face him. I haven't seen him since."

"I.. I'm sorry you went through all that. Were you able to save the baby? Being the god of life you'd have the power to bring it back."

"No. That's the fate of all who become a god of life through birth. Life is sacrificed to give us our power." They crossed their arms.

"Oh." I glanced down at the ground, my heart sinking.

"We shouldn't dwell on the past. After centuries of living the pain has become bearable. We should focus on the now. I have a task for you." 

"I don't know if I can focus on anything else while my sister is in danger. Maybe you could fix her..." a hopeful note entered my voice.

"I can't. I can't do that kind of magic until you fulfill your destiny."

"What do you mean?"

"You know your father wants to extinguish all life. To do that, he'd have to kill me. If I do any powerful magic he'll find me and end me. You have to stop him. You have to kill him."

My eyes widened. "I don't know if I can do that."

Their eyes narrowed. "You have to. If you don't, he'll find me one day and the world will be doomed. Your sister will be even worse off. It's the only way. You're the only one who can stop him."

"I... How would I even do it? He's a god." 

"There's an ancient weapon, Voorkrag, crafted from an incredibly rare metal that's poisonous to gods. You can use it to kill him. It's been lost to history, but the descendants of the earth elemental that forged it, Fedrakoh, don't live far from here. You can find it with their help, and once you're prepared you can defeat your father." They explained.

"I... Okay." I muttered, mind racing.

They smiled slightly, and turned to pull open a drawer. They took a map and a quill from it, and laid the map out on the table. They circled a small landmark. 

"This is where you are now." They said. They moved to a mountain range, and circled one of the mountains in the middle. "This is where you need to go." They ran their finger along a path connecting the two places. "This path should bring you there within a day. You'll probably have to stop at an inn along the way." 

I looked to Vica. She remained silent, her face neutral. "We'll leave now, I suppose." 

Vunitas smiled, and stood gracefully, walking us out and handing me the map. They moved with the elegance of someone who'd had a thousand years to perfect their very existence. We went out the door, and I turned just for a moment. They reached out and placed their hands on my shoulders.

"The fate of the world rests upon you, Freysa."

I nodded solemnly. I finally turned and started down the path, pocketing the map. Vica followed almost hesitantly. We walked for a good twenty minutes or do before I spoke up.

"You don't have to go with me. You can go back home." I said.

"I don't want to go back. I want to stay with you." She replied.

"This'll be dangerous." I warned.

"Everything will be fine as long as we have each other." She replied, voice soft.

I ignored the heat rushing to my cheeks and kept walking. Trees surrounded us, arching over the path and bathing our way in shadow. The sounds of birds and small animals scurrying through the underbrush were comforting, bringing a feeling of somewhat safety. I let my mind drift until we came across a small logging town, the sun dipping below the horizon.

"We should reactivate the illusion bracelet. I think I know the spell." Vica spoke up. 

I held out my wrist and she took it lightly, holding her hand above the bracelet. She muttered a few arcane words and the spell snapped back into place. I pulled my wrist away. We made our way into the inn, and I paid for a room. I sat at the bar, leaning heavily against the counter. Vica sat gingerly beside me. With a wave of my hand I flagged down the woman tending the bar. 

"A pint of whatever's strongest, please." I muttered, setting a coin down on the grimy counter. The woman nodded and took the coin, moving to get my drink. 

"Are you alright?" Vica asked.

"'m fine." I mumbled.

"Maybe you shouldn't be drinking."

The woman handed me my drink and I took a bitter swig. "It's fine." I picked at a crack in the wood counter.

Vica frowned. "I'm going to bed. Try not to drink too much." She stood up and made her way towards our room.

I took another swig of my drink, relaxing as the warmth bit my throat and seeped into my mind. I sat and drank, absently listening to the bard sing. Everything became hazy and my eyes started to droop. An old woman patted my shoulder. 

"I think it's about time for you to hit the hay. You look like you're about to drop."

I nodded and mumbled incoherently, stood up and wobbled my way to the room. Vica was curled to one side of the large bed. I stumbled over and collapsed into the empty side, wrapping my arms around my pillow, already drooling a bit. It didn't take long for me to pass out cold.


	15. 14

I crept through the snowy stone ruins, and listened for an out of place sound in the wind. Something was after me. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up and my heart beat just a bit too fast. I froze at the scrape of rock against rock behind me. I slowly turned to see a giant panther, ears back, maw twisted into a snarl. It's hindquarters tensed, and I dove away just in time to evade its pounce. I scrambled forward, weaving through the maze of stone. My attempts to summon fire were futile.

Pain spread through me when I ran straight into a wall, collapsing onto my knees. A dead end. I turned towards where I'd come to see the panther advancing. My breath hitched and quickened as it slinked forward. My fingers curled around a rock and I threw it at the beast. It hissed, dodging. I grabbed another rock and held it at the ready. The beast lunged at me and I held my arms up, ducking and letting out a scream.

\---

I shot up out of bed, falling to the floor in a heap. A groan escaped me, and with a tug I pulled myself up and crawled into bed, curling into a ball around my pillow. The bed dipped and shifted and Vica's footsteps sounded towards the window. She pulled open the curtains, letting the sunlight in. I clenched my eyes tighter closed against the red heat seeping through my eyelids. 

Her footsteps came towards me. I felt her hand against my back, gentle and cool. Her touch was like the gentle waves of the ocean near the shore, brushing against everything delicately. 

"Come on, we should get going." She said, voice soft. 

I sighed and sat up, only for a spike of pain to shoot through my head. I rubbed my temples, shaking my head slightly. I should've just gone back to sleep.

"It feels like somebody stabbed me in the brain." I groaned.

She chuckled slightly, earning a glare from me. "All that drinking got to you. I can help."

Water shot up from a flower vase on the table and wound its way to us, curling around her fingers. She brought her hand to my forehead, and concentrated. The water glowed and warmth soothed away the pain until it was barely a dull ache. She sent the water back to the vase and stepped back.

"Thanks. That helped a lot." I said, fiddling with the corner of the blanket.

"No problem. Now let's go." 

She grabbed my hand and pulled me up and to the door. We left, making our way through town to the road. There was a large cart there, with a man standing inside, announcing something. We drew closer and listened.

"The earth elementals have invited anyone interested in their culture to come watch one of their choosing ceremonies, people. The trip up the mountain, however, is harsh on foot. I'll allow you to ride in my cart for a price." He said with a plastered on smile. 

"That's our way in." I muttered to Vica.

"We can't go dressed like this. Their choosing ceremonies are important events... We don't look like we'd fit in." She replied.

I looked down at my clothes. A dirty, stained wool shirt and linen pants wouldn't do. Vica's looked slightly better, less stained anyway. I glanced around and spotted a small clothing shop.

"We can buy something new." I said, nodding to it.

We went in and looked around. The store was mostly stocked with dresses, I noticed, as I moved through the rows looking for something suitable. I finally stopped in front of a selection of cloaks. A purple one caught my eye. I felt the fabric, a soft yet strong silk. I picked it up off the mannequin, and looked around, spotting a blue woolen shirt. I went to it and picked it up too. I made my way to the shopkeeper, and paid, trying not to wince at the price of the cloak. I'd never had something fancy like it. After a quick look around I found Vica looking at an indigo dress. 

"You should try it on, it's pretty." I said.

She smiled slightly and nodded, going to the small room in the back. She ducked through the moth eaten curtains, and I waited. After a minute she came out in the dress. Butterflies flew around my stomach as I tried not to blush.

"You, uh, look nice." I mumbled.

She smiled lightly. "Thanks. You should try on your clothes." 

She sat on a small chair nearby as I walked into the small room, slipping through the curtain. I set the clothes down and pulled my shirt off. My eyes went to the mirror attached to the wall. My hand shook slightly as it went to one of the scars along my abdomen, a raised slice against my skin. The stab wound from Zorin's sword. An ache went through me when my fingers brushed against it. My eyes went along to the two other scars near it, slices marred by burn marks from being stabbed with the holy knife. Patches of my sides had burn scars from the dragon's fire. 

It's not like I didn't have scars before. The two punctures on my neck from Alornis' bite were faint but still there. I'd gotten in enough scrapes for it to show on my skin. Portra's ice had left a mark a few times. There was something about the new array of scars that made my stomach turn. My eyes went to the scar from Zorin's sword. It was a reminder that I'd died. That I should be dead now.

"Are you alright?" Vica's voice shocked me out of my trance.

"I'm fine." I called out. I hurriedly put my new shirt on, and slung the cloak around my shoulders. I buttoned it, and walked out.

"You look great." Vica said, grinning at me. 

"Thank you." 

We left the store, and made our way to the cart. I handed a few coins to the man and we got into the cart. Within a few minutes it was filled, and the man got into the front and urged his horses onward. We sat in a comfortable silence on the way to the mountain. I tuned out the chatter of the others, admiring the views. 

Finally, we stopped outside a large archway that led into the mountain. We got out of the cart and made our way inside, following a few earth elementals. We found ourselves in a large room, with seats made from stone facing a large stage. The room was carved from the mountain, the walls made of rock, brilliant shades of red and brown. The earth elementals let us choose our seats and we settled in. The room was filling up, and a tall, thin earth elemental walked out onto the stage. His body was formed out of a rough stone, worn in places, betraying his age. 

Everyone found their seats, and the ceremony started. Earth elementals filed out onto the stage, carrying various weapons and tools on platforms. The weapons were set to the right, and the tools were set to the left. They filed off the stage once it was done, and the tall earth elemental strode out to the edge.

"This is our choosing ceremony. I'll explain it for the visitors here. When a new generation of children mature, we hold this ceremony. Weapons and tools are enchanted, and choose their owner. Weapons go to the boys and tools go to the girls. Our women build up our community, and the places we inhabit. Our men defend them as they work... Now that that's all clear, let the ceremony begin!" The man spoke, voice booming. 

He turned, and earth elemental children started to make their way onto the stage. They lined up in front of the weapons and tools. They were all grinning and happy, except for one nervous looking child. The weapons and tools began to glow, floating to the children. Each child had one, except for the nervous child from before. They stood in front of the last sword, seeming to whisper pleas. A glowing hammer floated its way to them across the stage, falling into their hands. The room was filled with gasps from the earth elementals, and the tall one's face twisted in disbelief. The child looked around wide-eyed and ran from the room, hammer clutched to their chest.

Some gut feeling made me follow them, and I found them in a small hallway, curled up against the wall. I walked over and sat down by them, fidgeting with my cloak. They looked to be about 14, now that I got a look at them. Their body was formed out of a clay-like material, reddish-brown and smooth. Their clay-like hair was curly, more brown than red.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

They looked up, eyes filled with tears. "That shouldn't have happened. I'm not supposed to have this hammer, I'm supposed to have a weapon... I should... I'm a boy." Their voice went up at the end, making their words sound more like a question.

"I um... Don't know how that ceremony works, really. But I think you were meant to get that hammer." I rambled.

They blinked, looking me in the eye for a moment. "Have you... Ever felt like you don't belong? Like there's something wrong with you?" 

I chuckled dryly. "My whole life, I've felt like that. I've always been... Different from the people around me." 

They sighed. "I, um... I think I'm a girl. I mean, I have the body of a boy, but it's always felt wrong. I've always felt like a girl. It feels wrong when people call me a he. I feel like I'm a she... I know it probably doesn't make any sense..."

"No, I get it. You are who you are." I said.

"I don't think my parents or anyone will accept me." She mumbled.

"Well if it makes any difference, I accept you." 

She looked up at me and smiled. There was a commotion behind me and I turned to see a group of earth elementals dragging Vica towards us. I shot up, getting ready to fight. The tall earth elemental who led the ceremony stepped forward. 

"I heard you manipulating this young boy. Your tricks are not allowed here, foul demon." He said, as I stiffened.

"I, I'm not a boy. I'm a girl." The young girl spoke up from behind me. 

The tall elemental narrowed his eyes at me. "What have you done? You've confused him."

"I haven't done anything to her." I growled. 

With a flick of his wrist, rock came from all side and slammed me into the wall, trapped me. I struggled against it, the rock starting to crack. He stepped forward and took out a holy knife, stabbing it into my shoulder. The fiery pain was familiar now. The girl stared at me and gasped. The illusion spell had broken.

"W-what are you?" She asked, shaking slightly.

"I... I'm a demon. But I'm not evil! I meant every word that I said, I promise."

She shook her head slightly. I turned to see Vica struggling, and the tall elemental trapped her with rock too. He brought out the knife, and strode forward.

"You consorted with this demon. You must be dealt with."

I struggled against the rock holding me, but to no avail. He held up the knife, and suddenly a rush of power went through me. He faltered, knees wobbling. He collapsed to the ground. As he weakened, I grew stronger. As he crawled away I pressed against the rock, and it cracked and shattered. The rock fell away from Vica. The other earth elementals started to rush towards me, but I summoned a wall of fire between us. I looked to the girl. 

"Are you a monster?" She asked, voice trembling.

My heart dropped. "I might be... But I didn't choose to be like this. I never wanted to hurt anyone."

She took a deep breath, and her eyes narrowed. "Take me with you." 

I nodded. "Okay."


End file.
